The age-herald., 1898-02-26
FIGURING ON
 INDEMNITY PLAN To Make Amends for Spanish
 Outrage. FORMER CASES BROUGHT UP Which Can Be Taken as Precedent fog
 < lt Action. sEvEg INSTANCES ARE CITED y . English Ships Fired on Those S of America.
AND PROMPT PREPARATION WAS MADIa,
icy-The Continual Strain Unncrves Secretary Long and He Leaves
 for a Few Days Vacation.

TICS bffeiL cCHnH rom unOmclal sources III Havana as to sensational developments ii connection with the work of the divers in the Maine's hull the administration re- mains firm in its statement that there Is no credible evidence one way the othef as to the cause of the disaster and holds to it's purpose to await the conclusion of the investigation now making. This posi-, tion was emphasized at today's cabinet meeting. People who looked for some starts ling announcement were disappointed, as the members, without reservation, frankly admitted that the subject of the loss of the Maine had been discussed, but said thd government had received no information from Havana since yesterday and had no intention of changing its policy until there was something substantial to warrant 1t,
 The Spanish legation was equally dn the dark as to any of the results from unoftis cial sources.
 Long Seeks Rest
 Secretary Long has been under heavy and almost constant strain ever since he was awakened dn the middle of the night a week ago last Tuesday by the news of the loss of the Maine, and now that matters are at least for the time being in a quieter state, he has withdrawn from the navy uet partment and gone away for 1sw QayF rest leaving Assistant Secretary Roosevelt to manage the department. The latter nag been thoroughly advised at every step oE the secretary's poldcy, 90 there is not likely to be any change in that respect caused by the temporary assumption of the duuies of secretary by MT. Roosevelt. Just pes fore the department closed he had woru of the saiiing of IIhe cruiser Montgomery from Tampa for Key West Up to unay time the vessel had been given no oruerH so that the date of her departure for HaA yana, if she is to go at all, Is con]ecNurak
 The Castine, the second of the Unatsa States warshipS on the soutn AtpaHuc Il pl.<1dn u1 she todned the Cincinnati. It may be that the Castine will go ito Martinique to DE docked. as she Is in need of cleaning aIleR her tropical service.
 Don't Know When to Expect It
 Since so much depends upon the repoTs of the court of inquiry, 1t may De interest, ing to note that so far as Secretary Lonx himself knows when to expect rhls anes nortant document, up to this time having heard nothing from any of the memperf on this point He rather expected that the court, which has complete power to worn on it's own lines, would wind up ios Woan at Havana before leaving, so as 70 aNoio the necessity for a return trip One mem, Der of the cabinet had a more definite opinf ion on the subject, expecting the receipg of the report about the middle or nexe week. There Is reason to believe tnat meantime and to prepare for the receptio4 of a. report that would show the dfsasteE
  some of the officials of the administrator have been looking up the subject Of ins demnities so as to lay the foundation TOE the case if 1t should be decided to resort to that method of settlement.
 There are large number or precedents which will aid the authorities in shaping their action in this direction when the facts are fully established. While none or tne cases show the fearful loss of life sus. tained by the Maine explosion, yet they l.. xurIlt t<rfl a States has adopted energetic measures to redress the killing of American citizens in foreign countries. In a general way these methods of redress have included demahus for indemnity, proclamations excluding the warships of the offending nation from o9f harbors display of force, non-intercourses withdrawal of our minister, reprisai ana blockade.
 Border Closely on War
 Some of these steps border very closely on war; although they are regarded as the movements just preliminary to actual hoss tilitfes and as amounting to a threat tnhs force win follow if reparation is not made. The case of the Waterwitch IS consiaersq to be the most analogous to that or the Maine should it be established that the Maine disaster was not the result or acc3f dent The Waterwtch was United states ship. engaged in 1855 in surveying the eh- trance to one of the rivers of Paraguau
  den+ Tonez of Paraguay force of <1oopS onened fire on the waterwitch, killing the man at the helm and wounding others. IF tense feeling was aroused In the ohlteo states when the facts became known. The president reported the facts to congress- and in his message asked authority to mako a demonstration of force which would ip- sure proper redress. In response to tni9 congress authorized him to fuse such forca as is necessary" to secure ample reparae ton. Accordingly an armed fleet was hastt3 ly assembled on a scale which was regarded as remarkable for those days. The expedIS ton included nineteen armed ships, 4bQ heavy guns and 2500 sailors and marines Accompanying this formidable outfit therq were civilian plenipotentiaries prepared td make the demands of this government ap9 then enforce them by calling on the arme9 ships. Awed Into Subjection
 The expedition made formidable snowy (Continued on Second Pageh