Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-01
No ACTION
Was Taken by the Foreign Affairs
Committee of Either the House Or
Senate.

Washington ID. c., March 31.-The
Senate committee on foreign relations
resumed its sitting, but it began its
work with the deliberation of a body
which feels that it has ample time for
all that is to be done. The committee
was called TO meet at 1890 O'Clock,
but 1t was almost ii before a quorum
! appeared. The members came in one
! at a time and all had the air of going
| TO work for which there was more
time than was needed. Even Senator
Davis, chairman Of the committee, who
IS usually at his committee room by
$50 O'Clock, did not arrive for mos
than an hour after his time. He was
! Joined about 1920 o'clock by Senator
'rurpie and he in turn by other men,
bers of the committee until a quorum
was secured, and business began at IL
O'Clock.
! The members of the committee all
refused TO discuss the situation before
entering upon tl4sir labors, further
than to say that they had the whole
Cuban question under careful consid-
GRAFTON and expected to be able to re-
| port by the end of the week or at any
rate by the first Of next week.
Chairman Davis declined to say
| whether the new resolution embodying
| the views of the committee as to the
| course which should be pursued to
| ward Cuba in case of the failure of
diplomatic negotiations were under
consideration, but there is no doubt
that the Senator has been giving his
attention to the formulation of such a
| measure. The general status of the
| Cuban question was taken up immedi-
ately upon securing quorum, and
especial attention was given to the
proposition to purchase the Danish
island of St Thomas
Captain Sigsbee, of the Maine. and
/ Captain Barker, Secretary Longs naval
aide, who went to Key West after the
| explosion on behalf Of the department,
were before the committee for an hour
| at the afternoon sitting Both were
| examined in detail in regard to the
/ condition and strength Of our navy in
| the vicinity of Havana, and Captain
| Sigsbee was questioned as to his opin-
| ion and knowledge of the Maine catas-
! trophe His story was not materially
different from that detailed to the
naval court Of inquiry, but the fact
that it was given personally to the
members of the committee and includ-
ed personal deductions, made visible
impression upon the members. Capt.
Sigsbee did not express a conviction
in so many words that the disaster was
the result of treachery on the part OF
the Spanish, but after the committee
- .te
| members expressed his belief that the
explosion was due to that agency. The
purpose in taking the testimony OF
these naval officers is TO incorporate
their statements in a report the COM
mIttee will make in case it finds it
necessary to report a resolution for
| intervention. This report will be in
the nature of statement to the coun-
try iustifying the position taken. and
it is considered desirable to support
this with an array Of pertinent facts
| which will go far to convince the
| American people and the civilized
world of the justice of the course
| taken.
When the report which was circu-
lated during the afternoon to the eff
feet that Spain had rejected the pro-
posals of the United States, was
brought to the attention OF the COM
mittee, Senator Davis went to the
Senate chamber, and asked that there
should be no adjournment until Mon
| day. as had been contemplated. This
led to the surmise that in case the re-
port of Spain's refusal should be veri-
! fed. the committee might bring in its
| report tomorrow 1t was stated
later, however, that the committee had
not changed its plans. and that it
would probably wait upon the Presi-
dent at least until Monday, if he should
so desire.
There is no doubt that the commit
tee is prepared to report very speedily
in case ii should feel called upon to
| 6o so.
The House comr~ - tee on foreign T.
| fairs adjourned at noon to-day with
,ut action There was general ex-
change of views and it was decided
that il was only fair to the administra-
ton to give it the few days asked p
see if the demands the President has
made will be agreed to by Spain be-
! fore taking aggressive action.