The San Francisco call., 1898-03-11


 international court of inquiry and ar bitration. the present court of inquiry is proceeding with such care and delib- eration as to give many the false inn pression that it is killing time This came to me to-day from distinguished officer of the navy. whose sources Of information are scarcely inferior to those of the court itself. After admit ting that the pressure of secrecy had been somewhat relieved and that the administration will soon be ready to take the people into it's confidence, this gentleman said:
 Those who believe that the Court of Inquiry is unnecessarily prolonging the inquest simply for the purpose o1 giving the authorities in Washington an opportunity to gain time so that popular indignation over the deStruc- ton of the Maine may be allayed, or to accomplish other results are in error.
 Tt was not desired that the court should make It's report before last sat urday. but President Mckinley has in formed Captain Sampson that he IS TfrersSsd now to receive 1t as soon as the court is ready to make 1t.
 Tt must not be understood, either. that the delay is an indication of in decision. l can assure you that the court has come to final decision in the matter. All further delay is the result of great caution and realization that the investigation is unique in the naval history of the world and every possible precaution against bIunder must be taken. What the result of its findings will be the court does not pre- tend to know. It's report may be fol- lowed by prompt action one way or another by the administration or may result in the converting of a court of inquiry and arbitration composed Of an tat a. tions of the world.
 Tn either event it is the intention of the court that the evidence which IL has accumulated shall be in shape and order and so plain that it can be un- derstood by any intelligent mind. This is the real explanation of the prolonga- tion of the work of the court. This is why every detail is being gone over with tiresome care. For this reason facts and figures concerning the wreck are being noted and placed in compari- son with the original plans of the Maine Measurements are still being taken and will continue to be taken. and the results will be preserved until there remains absolutely nothing more to be done. Then the findings or the court will practically be mathemati- cal conclusion, the logic of which can- not be eYaded.
 '1t is not to be understood that the Court of Inquiry is preparing it's re-
 
 placed before higher tribunal, or that the members consider the convening of an international court of inquiry and arbitration as possible. They are sim ply preparing for all emergencies, and by so doing demonstrating that the trust and confidence placed in them are merited. Evidence which has been readily understood by them, acquainted as they are with the architectural con- struction of the Maine. and having practically given personal inspection to every twisted beam in the wreck, may anpear complicated and obscure to others Light is being shed upon every detail and explanatory material is still being gathered at time when less thorough and conscientious men would already have made their report.
 "They will continue along this line as long as there is a new thing to be learned. Then and not till then, will they leave Havana. The conclusion Willsbe reached immediately after the last evil dence has been taken Last night the Court of Inquiry did not know when 1t would be ready to stop investigation. If may soon come to a conclusion. and ifs work may be continued another fortnight But one thing you may as- sure the readers of the Herald: The Court of Inquiry is not in the busi- ness of killing time.
 This interview and the facts therein stated may be received by the public with as absolute confidence as though they bore the stamp of the Court Of Inquiry official sanction. The Herald has been made the vehicle for the con veyancee of this information to the American people and the world at large.
 For several reasons the Court of ln- quiry has been somewhat sensitive un- der the charge, openly made in some quarters. and frequently implied In others, that it's present operations are only for time-killing purposes. The courts members also resent the dispo- sition on the part of certain i'll Lad Vised Linguistic war organs to make It appear that the courts real conclu- sions were reached long ago and with out sush careful deliberatfon as should characterize body charged with a task of the most grave magnitude Ap- preciating that the Heralds course has been Tar different, that it has at no time endeaVored to force conclusions on the public unwarraEted by facts and has not attributed to the court or to witnesses statements warped and dis torted or wholly imaginative 1t is nat ural that through the Herald persons very close to the court itself should seek to set at rest innuendos alike in- 4f1ri n the dicy7it,y oF ha n nd