The evening times., 1898-03-05
THE ADMINISTRATION KNEW


tEfOm view Ioth SUM-
Washington, March 3. - Although the
Administration is undoubtedly without
any adviees from the Maine Board of
Inquiry tending to show what It's findings
will be, there is good reason for the be-
lief that from other official sources in
formation has been received that the evil
dence taken by the board Will show that
the disaster was not the result of an acci-
dent. The rumor that Consul General Lee
had sent directly TO President Mckinley
a statement in regard to the cause Of the
explosion on the battleship. mention of
which was made in The Sun this morning.
was confirmed to The Sun reporter today
from several different sources. All these
persons arc in position TO know whether
any message of the sort has come from
Gen. Lee. Two of them said that the
communication had gone direct to the
White House from Havana. Another
would not Indicate to whom the message
had been addressed. All those from
whom the information was obtained,
however, agreed in the assertion that
Gen. Lee had made the statement. or at
least expressed the opinion, that the
Maine was destroyed by causes which
came from the outside, and that it had
been clearly proved that the accident the
DRY was not supported. Pore
The information came to The Sun re-
porter in such way, and In one instance
from source so thoroughly trustworthy.
that were IL not for the statements made
by officials of high standing who have
been frank and honest in dealing with
the newspapers since the disaster there
would be no hesitation in making the di-
rect assertion that it is absolutely cor
rect. Several letters received here from
Havana have contained positive state
ments that the Board of Inquiry could
not DO otherwise than report that the
Maine disaster resulted from no fault of
anybody on board. These letters, how
ever were not official. although some Of
them were written by persons in official
place under the United States. and even
If Secretary Long and others in author
ity to speak knew of them. they were
justified in their announcements that
nothing whatever had been heard from
the Board of Inquiry. Capt. Sigsbee or
other competent person indicating the
cause OF the disaster. Capt Sigsbee in
his communications to the Navy Depart
ment has adhered strictly To his own
maxim: Suspend Judgment" He has
not INDUCED in any theories or any as
sertions about the destruction Of his ship
He has shown all along that he was per
feCtly satisfied that his interests as the
Names commander and those Of the
United States Government We're in COM
petent hands. and was willing to abide
by the findings of the Board of Inquiry.
composed Of brother officers. None Of
these official assertions has included the
reports of a private and personal charac-
ter. merely giving individual expressions
Of opinion, and the TumOred message
from Gen. Lee may be of this kind Nat
urally the Administration would not want
to make public at this critical time any
thing that was not based on actual evil
dence. and can consistently decline 20
accept opinions. even though founded on
statements that should have weight and
transmitted by persons Of official stand
ing. not coming from the Board of In
quiry or Capt. Sigsbee.
The Sun reporter was not able TO ascer-
tain whether the alleged communication
from Consul General Lee came by tele-
graph or through the mail None of his
infOrmants could or would tell him any
thing on that point, although. as men
toned above, two of them said that il
came directly to President Mckinley. The
inference from the information given is
that Consul General Lee wrote per
sOnal letter to President Mckinley ex-
pressing the belief, based on evidence at
hand and the opinions Of officers of the
Maine, that the battleship was blown up
from the outside. This letter. II is in
ferred. was not written by Gen. Lee in
his official capacity. but can be Consid-
cred only as a private communication.
sent by one citizen to another. The prob
ability is that Gen. Lee, recognizing the
impTopriety of making any official decla-
ration prior to the receipt of the report
of the Board of Inquiry. thought it only
right TO tell the President what he knew.
n latter n. Iy- Nfr
Mckinley from Gen. Lee, it will not. of
course. be placed in the files OF the State
Department. and cannot therefore be
ever made use of in an official way. even
If the Board of Inquiry confirms Gen.
Lees alleged opinion.