The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-24
TROUBLOUS TIMES PREDICTED
MORGAN AND THERsTON THINK A
RESORT TO ARMS INEVITABLE,
Unless the Spaniard Heed the Presi-
Cuba-InvestigatiOn Proposed.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-Both branches
of Congress are behaving with great dignity
and propriety in the grave crisis of our re-
lations with Spain. They recognize that
the situation is full of peril to peace. They
feel deeply the loss of the Maine under cir
cumstances that throw suspicion on the
good faith of Spain. Sobered by the grav-
ity of the situation, they feel a deeper and
profounder sense of responsibility resting
on them than they have felt at any time
since the struggle in Cuba began. They
are determined, therefore, that when the
time for them to act comes, If 1t ever ar
rives. they will act deliberately and as be-
comes a body in whose hands the decision
Of peace or war rests. The Allen bellger-
ency rider to the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill was properly knocked out
in the Senate this afternoon after a spirited
debate. The Senate is for belligerency, but
the proposal to tack a declaration to that
effect on a money bill was so undignifed
and so much out of place that the scheme
was killed by a practically unanimous vote
When Congress begins on Cuba it will be as
a sweeping Independent proposition, which
will tittingly represent the expression of the
Nation and not as an attachment to an ap-
preparation bill. The Allen move which
was so formidable at one time as to threat
en- serious embarrassment to Congress, was
recognized as weak, inadequate and in every
way inappropriate from the moment the
situation took on q serious color-that is,
after the Maine explosion. Its fate from
that instant was sealed, and it is a wonder
that its author had temerity to press 1t.
This is deemed no time to let the Anar-
chists. Populists and other irresponsibles
and frebrands frame the Cuban policy Of
the government. So long as they can do no
harm they are given rope, but when mis-
chief is likely to result from their demon
strations they are "sat upon" with great
vigor.
There may be no war, but preparations
for war are, it is said, being pushed vigor-
ously, and if there should be conflict be-
tween Spain and the United States we
would be found ready. A feet the most
powerful this country ever assembled is
gathering at Key West within easy strik-
ing distance of Havana. Modern high
power guns are being hurried as fast as
completed to the defense Of our various sea-
coast cities. Special dispatches to newspa-
pers tell us that every arsenal and navy
yard, every factory of implements and
munitions of war is working day and night.
Marines at Washington and regular troops
from near Atlanta are preparing to go to
Key West, it is said. Yet all this does not
necessarily mean war. 1t is tho common
sense to make all the limited preparations
at our command in anticipation of a possi-
BILE outbreak of hostilities. The situation
has become so strained that it is the part
of wisdom to recognize war as among the
possibilities of the near future. For the
government to ignore this condition of af-
fairs would be an act of folly that would
fall little short of lunacy. BY making
proper preparations now the government
may succeed in preventing an outbreak
Nothing makes so powerfully for peace as
preparedness for war.
In all that has been said in disavowai OF
Spanish responsibility for the explosion OF
the Maine, neither BlaEco Congosta, his
secretary, nor any of the other Spanish Off
cials in Havana have denied that the har-
Dor was mined or that there We're no tor
pedoes planted in its waters. This failure
on their part to make such denial is given
a very sinister appearance by the comments
on the omission which heard in con-
versations among public men and experts
at the national capital. The belief is strong
in the Navy Department that Havana har-
Dor was literally planted with explosives
two or three years ago, and that these de-
fenses have never been touched from that
day to this.
The court of inquiry has been asked to
make a special investigation into the state
of the tide at the time of the disaster. the
theory having been advanced by some Of
the experts about the department that the
disaster may have occurred at low tide, and
have been occasioned by the keel OF the
vessel coming into contact with a subma-
rine mine. If this theory should prove to
be correct, it is difficult TO see how 1t will
help the Spanish side of the case, as the
fact will remain that the destroyed war
ship was given anchorage by direction Of
the authorities directly over this mine the
existence of which only they could have
known about. II the Maine, after having
been deliberately placed over this egg of
destruction, was allowed 10 remain there
day after day without warning, 1t might
seem to be a matter of minor consequences
whether the engine Of death was exploded
thereafter by accident or design.