Evening journal., 1898-03-22
THE LINE OF ACTION
Maine Court of Inquiry Report
Expected on Thursday.
COPY FOR THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT
Report WIN lie Sent TO Congress and
Made Public at the Same Time-Noth-
ing as Yet Received at Washing
ton--sicard May Have II Now.

ton-sicard May Have IL NOW.
WASHINGTON, March 22.-The pro-
cedure In connection with the submis-
sion of the report OF the Maine court
of inquiry by the president TO congress
is now clearly outlined, and a cabinet
officer explained the general line OF ac-
tion at present intended TO be pursued
upon receipt Of the report, which rs eX-
pected to reach Washington on Thurs
day. A copy OF II will be laid before
the Spanish government very early and
as soon as can be consistently done the
report viii be sent to congress and
made public at the same time. The re-
port 20 congress will be accompanied
by a message from the president stat
ing that after receiving the report the
conclusions were laid before the Span
ish government and appropriate action
from that quarter asked.
IL is stated positively that no part Of
the report and no intimatlon Of the
findings have reached the executive au-
thoritles at Washington as yet At the
same time IL Is noticeable fact that
the current of official opinion is begin
ming TO follow that Of the unofficial
opinion expressed so positively and per-
sistently at Havana and Key West that
the cause OF the explosion was external
20 the batteship. officials here In the
administration stated that while they
were wholly without exact information
as 10 the findings OF the court Of in-
ouiry they found themselves sharing In
the apparently Intangible conviction
that the cause Of the explosion was not
accidental.
Opinion expressed by the Maine sur
vivors who reached here last Saturday
doubtless has contributed largely 10
this view In official circles. In this con-
nection II Is understood that one Of the
officers who arrived on Saturday stated,
not az his opinion. but as his personal
observation on the night of the disaster
that there were two distinct explosions
The tendency OF this is to support the
theory OF external cause. as this Is
based on the idea that the first external
explosion was followed by a second in
ternal explosion.
Intense interest in the report was
manifested at the White House and al
the state, war and navy departments
The president received n number OF
congressional leaders, among them be.
ing Speaker Reed and Chairman Hit
fairs. The visit Of Mr. Reed naturally
attracted much attention, as he seldom
leaves the congressional sphere to max,
calls on executive branches. and II II
inferred that the purpose Of his visi
was to confer upon the Cuban situation
and It's future before congress- though
neither he nor Mr. Hit was communi
cative. Secretary Long also had al
extended conference with the president
but so far as could be learned It de
veloped nothing additional relating 4
the Spanish question.
The army and navy appropriation
are continuing without interruption
although they have now become so reg
ular az collapse into routine on glgan
tic scale. No Further purchases OF war
ships were concluded yesterday, an
the negotiations are not assuming
promising aspect. except I'm shown
that the United States can comman
the market as against Spain.
The ordnance office OF the war de
partment presented a very busy seen
Yesterday when bids were opened 70
furnishing the department with 1,6o
cast iron projectles for seacoast can
non with which TO supply the fortified
tons. The advertisement called for Is
10-inch solid shot, 9l6 l2-inch morta
shells Weighing 500 pounds each an
300 12-inch mortar shells Weighing loo
pounds each. There was an UNUSUAL
large number OF firms which bid for th
contract. and the prices at which the
proposed 20 furnish the projectil'
showed wide range.
The battleship Texas started nortf
ward from Key West yesterday. tht
settling the question as 20 tho form'
ton OF a second squadron at or nes
Hampton roads. II Is expected the Ma
sachusetts will follow In few day
but the final orders for that move ha'
not been made. The navy departmel
received a preliminary report from oi
of it's agents at Havana, who Is watcl
ing the progress OF the wrecking II
understood that this refers mainly
the technical work Of salvage and n
10 the question OF cause. The judi
advocate generals office, where the r
port was received. viii not disclose q
details Of the report.
CUBANS TO BE RESCUED.