Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-03-04
a Chanes rnark by Secretary
Lea creates a STR.
HE MAKES ! PUBLIC EXPLANATION.
Court of Inquiry stilh in Session at
Key west-Eeelins of Anxiety In
spatn over Result of Its
investigation.

mated from the situation. This state
ment was not of formal or official
character, and was made by Mr.. Long
as he walked away from the white
house. AS usual the various cabinet Of
ticers were besieged with inquiries as
to the questions before the meeting,
and in response to these opportunities
the secretary rather casually summed
up the situation in a few words, stating
that most of the time had been given
to the outrages on colored postmasters
in the south. Naturally the Cuban
situation had been gone over, he said,
but there were no actual developments
and he felt that public excitement over
the subject had materially abated.
Then he added the statement, In the
same passing way, that any participa-
ton by the Spanish government In the
blowing up of the Maine was practically
eliminated, in his judgment. This last
remark was speedily given wide circula-
ton apart from the quieting references
which had accompanied it. 1t inn
mediately started much comment and
discussion, and when Mr.. Long returned
to the navy department after lunch he
found that what he had intended to-
convey was being given the force of an
official declaration that SPANS respon-
sibility for the disaster had been
eliminated. In order to make clear his
meaning, as personal expression of
opinion, Mr.. Long dictated the following
statement.
1.-THE main things we talked about in
cabinet were the outrages on postmasters,
one white man in Georgia and one
colored man in South Carolina.
I'm regard to the Cuban situation, said
I thought things were growing quieter
every day and as far as my judgment went
I was inclined to think that any official par
ticipation on the part of the Spanish gov
eminent in the disaster was now practical
ay eliminated.
Just n Private Opinion.
The foregoing conveyed all that Mr..
Long desired TO say on the subject, and
this much was given only to offset en-
larged versions of what he had said.
Persons occupying the closest relations
with the secretary said that the opinion
expressed was such as anyone might
give with The facts now at hand. 1t was
not in any sense, it was explained, a con-
clusion drawn from new evidence, not
made public, either from the court of
inquiry or any officer now concerned in
the inquiry. Neither facts nor intima-
Mons have come from such sources, it
is said at the department, which would
serve as the basis for an opinion. The
official declaration of Senior Du Bose,
the Spanish charge d'affaires, that no
mines or submarine defenses exist in the
harbor OF Havana had come to the at
tention Of Secretary Long, and this
statement from the authorized repre-
sentative Of the Spanish government
was felt to have been given it's due
weight in the opinion expressed by the
secretary.
Aside from this incident the day
brought forth few developments Of i'm
portance relating to the Maine. No dis
patches of any character from Key
West, where the court of inquiry is sit
ting, were given out during the day, and
as the rule of publicity is still in force
presumably nothing came from that
quarter. The vessel movements an
nounoed during the day were devoid of
Significance.
Nothing New Is Known.
Key West, Fla, March 2.-The second
days sessions of the court of inquiry
are over, and nothing new is known re-
garding the fate of the Maine, at all
events outside the members of the
court. Some who confidently declared
a week ago that the court had already
found that the vessel was Intentionally
blown up have modified this conviction,
and, for the most part, admit that such
reports must have been based largely
On speculation. Even naval officers are
apparently as much in the dark as the
civilians as to what the courts opinion
lis at the present moment. Excellent
progress has been made in the examina-
tions, and the court will probably finish
Its work here to-day, when its members
will be taken back to Havana on the
Mangrove.
Interest in the proceedings tagged
somewhat owing to the utter futility OF
all attempts to crafty the general
curiosity. A correspondent placed be.
fore one of the members of the court the
letter signed "Maquinista" (machinist)
giving alleged details of the filling Of
the Names torpedo holes with dyna
mite cartridges and their subsequen,
explosion by electric wires. The mem
Der of the court in question said tina,
neither the letter nor its developments
had been officially before the court. The
Cubans here are constantly receiving
mysterious missiyes from Havana pur
porting to reveal the method by which
the Maine was sent to destruction, but
as there are as many suggestions Of
theories as there are letters, little re
lance can be placed upon any.
The general situation here remain.
the same. The fleet has not moved
though there are signs of activity which
give rise to rumor that an importan
naval step is contemplated. Admira
sicard, when questioned on this point
merely reiterated his remark of Tues
day: "There is no movement to-day
The ships have steam up always, ant
they can go anywhere" The repor
that remnants of submarine mine, al
legged to have been raised by the Unitet
States naval divers at Havana with tn
electrical wires in which they had beer
entangled, were brought here on Sun
day by the Mangrove, and are now IL
the warehouse of the lighthouse depart
ment, is denied in high official quarters