Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-03-03

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some or these steps border very close.
~ on war, although they are regarded
As the movements just preliminary TO
actual hostilities, and as amounting to
threats that force will follow IL reDar-
alton Is aot made.
st. Paul. March New York Her.
aids special cable to the Pioneer Press
says:
Eager as is the waiting public for a
dennit announcement of the con
ciusions reached by the naval court Of
inquiry into the Maine disaster. 1t may
as well be stated now that the sus-
pense which pervades the entire coun
try, and, indeed. the whole civilized
world, must be endured probably for
several weeks longer.
The president and cabinet NAV. per.
haps, be made cognizant of the courts
conclusions at a somewhat earlier date
but its findings may not be made pub
lie before the latter part of March: and
announcement may be DELAYED even
later. To-day marks the end of the
first weeks sessions of the court. Ney.
er in the history of similar proceedings
have such precautions been taken To
guard the facts from public scrutiny.
Never have officers remained more
consistently reticent under the orders
of their chief. Nevertheless. your cor
respondent has passed many hours
aboard the Mangrove during the week
and Is in a position to give an accurate
synopsis of the situation os it is to
day. The first and most obvious con
HiISIOn Is that alpaaHu stated ,a,Nnl,
that the courts report must not be eX-
pected soon. The second and most i'm
portant conclusion, one which many
conservative observers have reached,
is that with the end of the first weeks
work the probability is
More Rem~te f.,an Fer
that the court can ever attribute the
Maine disaster to accident and interi-
or causes. The weeks work has hard
iy been rs that makes for peace.
Just In proportion as that fact has be-
come palmer in the light Of testimony
taken the evident purpose of the court
OF inquiry 70 make haste slowly has
forced itself upon those who have
watched it's course. Had il been posi-
Bile early in the investigation. with
reasonable certainty, TO say that the
Maine calamity was a misfortune only
ard not a crime the continued sup
preston of that conclusion would have
served the interests neither Of the
United States nor Spain.
ON the contrary. had the facts tend
ed 10 show an accidental origin of the
explosion, all p~eace-loving, sober
minded people would have rejoiced TO
see even partially lifted the dark cloud
that now menace both nations, and
the conservative press of America
would have welcomed an opportunity
to relax the dangerous tension that
now prevails. 1t was in the hope Of
such early assurance that the COR
respondent watched the first weeks
proceedings of the court. That hope
has almost vanished. The testimony
| thus far adduced points overwhelming
ly to an opposite conclusion. That is
why the government is moving so de-
liberately. The navy department needs
the time and will make good use OF 1t.
Dissatisfied with Divers
1t has been persistently rumored
! that the naval court is not wholly sat
isfied with the work done or the report
made by the divers up TO the present
time. l am inclined to believe some
| such feeling existed. and that it is
| partially responsible for the naval
courts contemplated return to Havana
In time to observe the work of the
more efficient wrecking apparatus
now en- route from New York.
Martin Riordan, hitherto attached to
the feet, has BEEN returned to Key
West In deep disgrace and will proba-
bly, be court martialed. The Grim OF
| which he stands accused Is no less than
that of differing from sea chests or
the dead soldiers and appropriating to
himself various things of value, which
1t was his duty to bring to the surface
and deliver to the proper authorities.
One seaman's chest In the berth deck,
it is said. contained savings aggre-
eating more than $1,000. The diver
had been under suspicion. He was
watched by other divers while ut work
and the suspicious, ii Is alleged, were
verified. His quarters were searched
and many trinkets and articles OF
value are said to have been discovered.
Loyal Spaniards to a man still refuse
to entertain for a moment the suspi-
cion that the Maine was the victim of
foul play or of any other than acci-
dental causes. Many of them scout as
ridiculous statements that the harb0r
is filled with submarine mines. Ha-
yana remains quiet. quieter than usu-
al: abnormally quiet for carnival time.
DISSATISFIED WITH THE COURT.
Charged i'm some Quarters That the
investigation Is Being P~urposeiy
Delayed.
Havana, March MANY Americans
and some Spaniards here insist that
the Investigation into the Maine dis