The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-22
OUR LINE OF ACTION.
The Report Will Be Laid Before
the Spanish Government.
WILL ARRIVE THURSDAY
It Is Universally Believed That the
Maine Was Blown Up by External
Agency-Second Squadron at
Hampton Roads.

Washington. March 21.-The proceed
ure in connection with the submission
of the report of the Maine court of in
quiry by the president to congress is
now clearly outlined, and a cabinet Off
Ger to-day explained the general line
of action at present intended to be pur-
sued upon receipt of the report. which
is expected to reach Washington next
Thursday. copy Of il will be laid be-
fore the Spanish government very early
and as soon as can be consistently
done. the report will be sent to con-
gress and be made public at the same
time. The report to congress will be
accompanied by a message from the
president stating that after receiving
the report the conclusions were laid
before the Spanish government and ap.
propriate action from that quartz:
asked
1t is stated positively that no part of
| the report and no intimation of the
| findings have reached the executive au-
| thorities in Washington as yet. At the
| same time. ii is a noticeable fact that
| the current of official opinion is begin
| ming to follow that of the unofficial
| opinion expressed so positively and
persistently at Havana and Key West,
that the cause of the explosion was eX-
| ternal to the battleship. officials high
while they were wholly without exact
| information as to the findings of the
| court of inquiry, they found themselves
| sharing in the apparently intangible
conviction that the cause of the eX-
| plosion was not accidental. The opin-
| ion expressed by the Maine survivors
| who reached here last Saturday has
contributed largely to this view in OFF,
| cial circles
| In this circumstance ii is understood
| that one of the officers who arrived on
| Saturday stated, not as his opinion,
but as his personal observation on the
| night of the disaster there were two
distinct explosions. The tendency of this
| is to support the theory of external
| cause, as il is based on the idea that
the first external explosion was fol-
lowed by an internal explosion. In
tense interest in the report was mani
| tested to-day at the white house and
at the state, war and navy depart
| ments.
The president received a number of
| congressional leaders, among them be-
| ing Speaker Reed and Chairman Hit
| of the house committee on foreign af-
! fairs The visit of Mr.. Reed naturally
attracted much attention, as he seldom
leaves the congressional sphere to
| make calls on the executive branch,
| and il was naturally inferred that the
purpose of his visit was to confer upon
the Cuban situation and it's future be-
| fore congress. though neither he nor
| Mr.. Hit was communicative. Secre-
| tary Long also had an extended con-
| ference with the president. but so far
! as could be learned, ii developed moth
| ing sensational relating to the Spanish
| question.
No further purchases of warships
were concluded to-day, and the nego-
| tiations are not assuming a promising
aspect except in showing that the
| United States can command the market
as against Spain.
The ordnance office of the war de-
partment presented a very busy scene
to-day. when bids were opened for fur
| nishing the department about 1,600
cast iron projectiles for sea coast cam
non. with which to man the fortifica-
tions. The advertisement called for 1877
10-inch solid shot: 80 12-inch mortar
shells. weighing 1000 pounds each.
There was an unusually large number
| of firms who bid for the contract. and
the prices at which they they proposed
TO furnish the projectiles showed a wide
| range. The contracts were not award
ed to-day.
The battleship Texas started north
ward from Key Fest to-day. thus set
tline the question as to the formation
| of q second squadron at or near Hamp-
ton Roads. 1t is expected the Massa-
chusetts viii follow in g few days, but
the final orders for that move have not
| been made.
The navy department received pre-
| liminary report to-day from one of its
agents who is at Havana watching the
| progress of the wrecking. 1t is under
stood that this refers mainly to the
technical work of the salvage and not
to the question of cause. The judge
advocate general. by whom the report
was received. will not disclose the de-
tails of the report.
The short session of the senate to-
day was quite unusual for the first
working day of the week. That no one
was prepared to go on with any pend
ing measure was given as the expla-
nation. but privately the opinion was
stated by some of the senators that
while the Cuban question remains In
such suspense there was no desire TO
take up important negotiations.
The outlook as to Cuba was discussed
among the senators almost to the ex-
clusion of other topics. and the belief
was uuite decided that the administra-
tion is preparing to take positive po-
sition within the next week. Several
senators made the prediction that the
United States would intervene. Being
pressed for a reason. they stated that
they had reached this conclusion after
more or less conference with executive
officers. but at the same time they said
quite emphatically that they had M
positive information on this point.
Other senators thought the recognition
cf Cuban independence more probable
than intervention. Almost every one
evrressed the view that some action
will follow the report of the Maine
.f.rx- ~r4l l..Szs Of