The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-03-11
WHAT ACTION NEXT /?
Belief Growing That the Naval
Court Will Knock Out the
Accident Theory.
United States Will Then De-
mand Indemnity and 1t
May Be Refused.
Capture of Havana Considered
Comparatively Easy by
Correspondents.

HAVANA, via Key West, Fla, March
7.-As the conviction becomes settled
that the court of inquiry will decide
that there was a mine explosion under
the Maine, discussion among American
naval officers and civilians here is
which it is believed the United States
government will adopt in case the in
demnity by Spain is overruled. A ma
jority believe that American troops
will be landed at some point east Of
Havana and the insurgents communi-
Gated with. that the Spanish soldiery
will be defeated or captured in detail,
and that in the meantime feet of
United States vessels will blockade, if
not bonn bard, Havana.
Capture of Havana Considered Easy.
No one seems to doubt that the re-
duction of this city would be compare
lively easy. Four 12-inch guns-two
west and two east of the city-are the
ones that are considered dangerous.
These are not likely to be well served,
while their emplacements are not mod
ern.
That some Spaniards are of opinion
that an attack on Havana will be made
is believed to be shown by the abnor-
NAL activity displayed on board the
Vizcaya. The Associated Press CORE
spondent has the best naval authority
for the statement that the Vizcaya is in
a constant state of readiness for emer-
gencies and that picket boats are on
the alert day and night inside the har-
Dor and outside the harbor at night.
Work of Spanish Divers.
The conduct of the Spanish divers
who are investigating the wreck of the
Maine is mystery. Thus far they
have not been down five hours in the
aggregate and they show no disposition
to make thorough inquiry.
1t is impossible to learn the truth
fully regarding the purpose of the Span.
ish court of inquiry, but it is generally
believed that the divers were sent down
for FORMS sake only and that report
will be made in accordance with in
structions from Madrid. 1t may be
that the Spanish divers have discov-
cred that the whole port side of the
Maine forward is gone and, having so
reported, further examination is deemed
unnecessary. The work of our own
divers henceforward is bound to be
slow, owing to the ponderous weights
to be moved, and the safety clamps
nuts and rivets that must be cut
Proctor Sees Much Suffering.
Senator Proctor is likely to make
speech in the senate on his return that
will have great weight in determining
the future policy of the United States.
He is much affected by the suffering
that he found in Matanzas and highly
indignant at what he calls the 'inhu-
mainly of the course pursued"
During a visit to Artemisa, this prov
1nce, he saw thousands of reconcentra-
dos, who refused to beg, though they
are starving. They were evidently Of
a class accustomed to make their living
and unwilling to become paupers. He
saw thousands of the best tobacco and
banana lands in the world reduced to
waste, with trochas and garrisons at
every village and crossroads. His
driver, pointing to the mountains 10
miles away, said: "There are plenty
of insurgent camps there that the Span
ish have never discovered"