Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-01-28
UNCLE SANS COMPLIMENTS
The Maine at Havana.

one or our biggest BnttIrships be-
spatchcd to the cuban capital. hut
Her Mission ~ Peaceful.
A stir of excitement was caused Monday
by the announcement that the United
States batteship Maine stationed at Key
West. oncof the most formidable vessels OF
onr navy. had been ordered to Havana. 1T
had been known for some days that Consul
General lee at Havana was authorized 90
call Instantly for warship if emergency
arose. and IL was naturally supposed that
the departure of the Maine was due To- ZEE.
newed disturbance iu that city or to some
complication with thc Spanish government.
The fact proved lo be-, however, that the i'm
cideut had mo- special significance whatever
The decision to- despatch the Maine to
Havana was revealed Monday morning al
ter conference at the White House be-
tween the President, Secretary Long and
other officials This statement was given
out bv Judge Day assistant secretary of
the navy
"Sendinr the Maine to Havana means
simply the resumption OF friendly naval
relations with Spain 1t is customary for
naval vessels of friendly nations to pass I'm
and out Of the harbOrs of other countries
with which they are at peace, and British
and German warships have recently visited
Havana This is no new move. The pres
dent has intended to do it for some time,
but heretofore something has happened TO
POSTPONE it. The orders TO the Maine mean
nothing more than ] have said, and there
is nothing alarming or untriendly in them.
The Spanish minister here is fully inform
ed of what Is going on, and, SO TAR as !
know has not made the slightest objection
to it,
ID is further said that this action is in
lien with the policy which President Nc
kiulcv has intended TO adopt from the
very beginning of his administration. Be
tore his arrival in Washington he had made
no his mind to reverse the policy of the
previous administration in this respect, and
he expected then that one OF his first otll-
cial acts would be to order an American
man-Ot-war to cruise in Cuban waters.
Other counsels prevailed at that time, but
the President now sees his way clear to
take the step. There is nothing eXtraor-
binary i'm this course. 1t is eXtraor-
binary rather, that there should have been
no American ship in the harbOr of Havana
through all the troublous times of the past
three years.
out in 1869 President Grant kept an Amer
lean ship at Havana and it was taken as
matter of course Cleveland, from excess
of caution and from the curious timidity
which made him SO reEardtul of Spanish
Sensibihties went to the extreme of order
ing orr squadron to abandon Its customary
winter cruise in the neighborhood of the
West Indies. Mckinley has simply gone
back to the time-honored practice OF this
and all other first class nations The pres
ence of British and German vessels in the
harbOr of Havana during the recent riots
has emphasized the absence of a represent
alive of the American navy. and the ad-
ministration has thought this to be good
time to put the United States on a norma!
footing again with regard to the Spanish
colony. There is nothing more certain
than that the President is actuated solely
by desire for peace in sending the -&aine
on her new mission At the same time he
and Secretary Long do not overlook the
necessity for having a warshlp near at hand
in case of the breaking out of new dis
turbances. for the administration would be
open to lust and severe criticism if there
should be an outbreak in Havana with no
American ship there to protect American
citizens.
The Maine arrived in Havana Tuesday
A telegram from Consul General Lee SAYS
that her arrival occasiOned no excitement.
The commanders of both Spanish ana Ger
man ships of war had called upon the
commander of the Maine, who had returned
their calls, the Spanish forts had fired sa-
lutes, and all the ceremonies called for by
naval etiquet had been observed
The newspapers at Madrid generally dis
approve OF the action Of our government
and agree in expressing the opinion that
the visit of the Maine is 'inopportune and
calculated to encourage the insurgents 50 Ii
is announced that, following our example,
the Spanish government will 'instruct
Spanish warships 10 visit American ports
In Official circles at Madrid the tendency is
TO accept the argument that the United
States is friendly, and that it is needless TO
attach Importance to the visit of an Amer
can vessel TO Havana
such excitement as the despatch of the
Maine caused in Washington has died
down Chairman Hit of the House for
elgn affairs committee expresses the belief
that the presence of the Maine at Havana
VIII nave salutarv effect, and prevent any
antl-Amerlcan demonstration which might
possibly have taken place in the absence OF
an American man-of-war
The Captain of the Maine.
Capt. Charles d. Sigsbee of the Maine is
one OF the most careful and capable officers
in the naval service. He was selected for the
honor OF taking the stars and stripes into
Havana harbor because of the great conf
dence which the navy department has in
his ability TO cope with any crisis with
which he may be confronted The atten-
tion of the present administration OF naval
affairs was called to his observation-disclosures
by his manner of handling his shin in the
East River last summer when in danger of
collision with ferryboat and a coal pier
In order to avert disaster to the people on
the terryboat. Capt Sigsbee swung the
Maine into the coal wharf and then. by a
quick movement, lodged the other craft.
Naval officers praised his performance
highly, and the then acting secretary of
the navy, Mr. Roosevelt, sent MIN letter
OF Communication