The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-02
SPANS RESPONSIBILITY
In Connection With the Destruction
Of the Battleship Maine.
SECRETARY LONGS STATEMENT.

HuI SuSplCIOu ASdlnSU
Spanish Officials Has Been Practical
ly Eliminated-But This Does Not
Relieve Spain of Responsibility.
Washington, March 2.-The main in
terest yesterday in connection with the
Maine inquiry centered in a statement
by Secretary Long, following the cab
met meeting, that in his personal opin-
ion any official participation by the
Spanish government in the blowing up
of the Maine was now practically elm
mated from the situation. This state
ment was not of a formal or official
character, and was made by Mr.. Long
as he walked away from the White
House. AS usual, the various cabinet
officers were besieged with inquiries as
to the questions before the meeting,
and in response to these Important
ties the secretary rather casually sum-
med up the situation in a few words
stating that most of the time had been
given to the ourages on colored post
masters in the south.
Naturally the Cuban situation had
been gone oyer, he said, but there were
no actual developments, and he felt
that public excitement over the sub
ject had materially abated Then he
added the statement, in the same pass
ing way; that any participation by the
Spanish government in the blowing up
of the Maine was practically elimi-
mated. in his judgment. This last re-
rlr sri1 r.; 40 nj
ton, apart from the quieting refer
ences Which had accompanied it. 1t
Immediately started much comment
and discussion, and when Mr.. Long re-
turned to the navy department after
lunch he found that what he had in
tended to convey was being given the
force of an official declaration that
Spain's responsibility for the disaster
had been eliminated. In order to make
clear his meaning. as personal ex-
preston of opinion, Mr.. Long dictated
the following statement: 80
THE man thing we talked about in
the cabinet We're the outrages ca the
postmasters, one a white man in
Georgia, and one colored man in
South Carolina. In regard to the Gu
ban situation / said l thought things
were growing queter every day, and
as far as my judgment went, was in
clined to think that any official parti-
cpation on the part of the Spanish
government in the disaster was now
practically eliminated"
The foregoing conveyed all that Mr..
Long desired to say on the subject, and
this much was given only to offset
enlarged versions of what he had said.
Persons occupying the closest relations
with the secretary said that the opin-
ion expressed was such as any one
might give with the facts now at hand.
1t was not in any sense, it was eX-
planned, conclusion drawn from new
evidence not made public either from
the court of inquiry or any officer
now concerned in the inquiry. The
official declaration of Senior Du Bose,
the Spanish charge d'affaires, that no
mines or submarine defenses exist in
the harbor of Havana had come to
the attention of Secretary Long, and
this statement from the authorized
representative of the Spanish govern
ment was felt to have been given
due weight in the opinion expressed by
the secretary.
1t was pointed out by persons bear
ing close relations to the secretary
that the language used was official
participation" on the part of the Span
ish government. This, it was said, had
no bearing on the question of SPANS
responsibility. The official partici-
patton" of Spain was one thing, while
the responsibility of Spain, in case the
disaster proved to be of external ORR
gin, was quite another thing, The
secretary's statement was restricted
1t was explained, to exculpating Spain
from direct, official knowledge and par
ticipation in the affair. In case it was
shown that the act was due to some
fanatic or person connected with the
government then the question of
Spains responsibility would be still
open.
Orders went out from the navy de-
partment late in the afternoon to put
the ironclads MiantonOmoh and katah-
din into commission on the 10th. They
are now at the League Island navy
yard, where they have been laid up
for q year or two past. 1t Is said at
the department that the purpose Of
putting them into commission is to
make berths for the survivors of the
Maine now at Key West waiting on the
court Of inquiry, who will without
doubt have finished with them by the
10th.