The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-04
ALGER Is HEARD FROM
To say That Nobody Knows Any
Wore Ehan the PmhIic.

Washington, March 3.-The Washing
ton Post this morning printed the follow
ing interview with Secretary Of War
Alger:
''The statement Of Secretary Long that
SPANS official participation in the disas-
ter to the Maine has been practically
eliminated was merely an expression Of
personal opinion on his part. 1t is an in
justice to him. as wei as TO the adminis-
tratIon, to give an official significance TO
his expression, when he was particular at
the time to emphasize the fact that he was
speaking simply as an individual. In the
absence OF official facts-and [ can repeat
what has been said heretofore that the
public is equally as well informed as the
gOverument-nO member of the admins
tration can, Of course, make official dec
Iaration touching Spaiu's responsibility,
moral or otherwise. There is not an iota
of informa ton as TO the cause or origin Of
the explosion upon which the government
can at this time form a conclusion or base
a decision. The verdict of the court of in
curry on that point must patiently be
awaited"
Beyond this Secretary AIger would tlot
be quoted. but he authorized the Post to
state most positively that no official in
formation was being withheld from the
public; that the administration was adj
herring strictly to the policy adopted by
Secretary Long, with the approval of the
president, at the start, to give the fullest
possible publicity to all facts coming Off
cialIy to the departments bearing on the
49, n,
men.
Washington. March 3.-Secretary Long
today authorized an absolute and positive
denial of q report asserting that a partial
or preliminary report had been received
by the government from the Maine IL
curry board indicating or declaring the
loss of the Maine was due to an external
explosion. He said that no report OF any
kind had been received and that the pub
lie had all the information that had been
received.
Havana. March 3-The operations of the
divers this morning were interrupted by
d heavy thunder storm.
Senator Proctor may leave Havana on
Saturday for home though the time of
his departure IS not decided. He may re-
main here until Wednesday, and in that
case viii probably take d trip into the
province of Pnar del Rio, with Superin-
tendent Elweu of the Red Cross society,
unless the stormy weather changes the
program.
The Spanish divers did not go down to-
day, but the American divers got some
fixed ammunition out of the forward part
of the wreck.
Key West, Fla, March 3.-Lieutenant
Mark, the judge advocate Of the United
States naval court of inquiry into the loss
of the battleship Maine. which concluded
its sessions here yesterday, said today
that he did not know when the court
would leave Key West
Judge Advocate 0Iatrix was the only
officer Of the court Of inquiry on shore
TO-DAY. Captain Sampson remained on
board the Iowa, and Captain Chadwick
and Lieutenant-C Commander Potter on the
New York. Even the stenOgraphers took
q holiday.
Some hitch has occurred in the plans of
the court, though it has been understood
that the members are awaiting orders
from Washington through Admiral ST.
card
Havana, via Key West Fla, March O.
a naval officer here today, in reply TO
suggestion that It was q pity such an i'm
pcrtaut decision as the verdict Of the
court Of inquiry into the Maine explosion
should dest solely upon the testimony OF
divers. who seemed men Of only average
intelligence. replied:
THE court of inquiry has not had TO de-
pend upon divers testimony alone"
Then rtal.z.ur thar he had said more
chan he intended. the officer resumed his
hahitUal reserve. 1t IS believed that the
testimony Of Iteuteuant-Co Commander
Wainwright was highly i,noo~ta-- as