The times., 1898-03-03
How Long. q Lord.

How Long, O Lord.
Immediately after the Cabinet meet
ing, on Tuesday. Secretary Long de-
clared that the responsibility of Spain
had been eliminated from the Maine
problem. Since that time he has made
numerous and futile efforts to modify
the effect of the utterance, but has not
denied the words.
Secretary Long is the single man in
the Navy with the privilege of speech.
There is a disposition in the White
House circle to assume that he express
ed only his individual opinion. All the
circumstances, however, point ineXor-
ably to the conclusion that he voiced
the opinion and policy of the President
and Cabinet. with whom, but a few
minutes before, he had been in official
consultation upon the subject matter of
his remarks. 1t is impossible to believe
that he was not the mouthpiece Of the
Administration. however much he may
have regretted. afterwards, that he
utilized himself in that character.
The universal Indignation which Mr..
Longs statement of the executive po-
sition, as to the causes which led to
the massacre has produced throughout
the country. viii be increased potential
Is when it is taken in connection with
4 other things. On the surface il ap-
pears TO have been a decision arrived at
I in advance of official knowledge of the
facts. That would be justly regarded
as a prejUdgment, unfair to the Ameri-
can people. and an outrage upon the
memory of the murdered dead. But
there i more than a suspicion that it
followed receipt and consideration of
premeditation. treachery and RESPONSE
BILE action in the destruction of our
warship and her crew; evidence which,
+ il given to Congress and the public,
y ould render futile any further at
I tempt t. stem the tide Of national grief,
modification and rage.
The leading organ of Spain and the
f. Administration in New York published
yesterday a most startling letter from
its Havana correspondent. in which ii
was shown beyond any peradventure
thar the Maine was blown up by a sub
marine mine. SO large and terrific in
destructive power that its existence
could not be ascribed to any other
than Spanish governmental agency. 1t
stated that the doomed ship had been
ripped apart from stem to stern, and
that her keel was lying in two pieces
at different places in the harbor. Ac-
Curding to this authority, it would have
been impossible for any fanatic or
group Of fanatics 10 secure the ma
terial, the connections or the facilities
( for constructing such military work.
1 Nor, IL possessed of all these means,
could any body of men outside of the
! Spanish engineer corps have been able
TO plant it.
There Is something ominous in the
fact that this intelligence should ap-
pear in the columns Of the New York
Herald few hours after it became
publicly known that the Administra-
ton had determined to assume the in
n0cence Of Spain in the premises. The
necessary deduction is that the facts
published in the Herald, and the in
evitable conclusions from them, were
known to President Mckinley and the
Cabinet, and We're considered at its
4 Tuesday meeting. 1t is even more than
i probability that they had been pre-
sented officially in the form Of a pre-
/ limInary report from the Court of In
quiry.
The Long incident therefore, has an
/ ugly and sinister look about it, Taking
all the phenomena together, Congress
( and the American people are justified
in believing:
First, that on Tuesday, the Admins
tration knew that the Maine had been
blown up, and TWO hundred and sixty
American heroes massacred, by the di-
rect and responsible act of the Spanish
authorities in Havana
Second. that, believing the acknowl-
edgment of such a horror would rem
itti tiAt 4AAAillillSti aAlpt pDNtlltSS To
prevent war. ii deliberately determin-
ed TO suppress its know ledge, to keep
back the official report as long as pos
sible, or perhaps pigeonhole it entirely
and TO save its Wall street and foreign
financial Droprietors by committing the
Government irrevocably TO an admis-
sion Of Spanish innocence.
In view Of the known facts, and the
absolute certainty that every surviv-
ing officer of the Maine. every diver en-
Dloyed upon the wreck. every member
Of the Court Of Inquiry. naval experts
! at large. and our consul general all
know the truth, as reluctantly admitted
I in the New York Herald, and that the
chine could only have been committed
by supreme Spanish authority, what