The Portland daily press., 1898-04-14
SENATE COMMITTEE REPORT.
vigorous Arrangement of Spain as Re
sponsible for Maine Disaster.

Washington, al rll 1o.-Ine FepOfb OF
the Senate committee on foreign relations
on the Cuban situation WAS made by Sen
ator Davis, chairman Of that COMMITTEES
and was very thorough review of the
entire situation and strong presentation
/ If the facts which has led the committee
to it's conclusions. The report takes III
the Maine disaster, the leading topic for
consideration and plunges into that ques-
ton in it's first sentence which is as fol.
lows:
"The destruction of the United States
battleship Maine of two of her officers and
of 264 of her crew in the barbor of Havana
on the night Of February Is, 1898, ex-
cited to an Unprecedented degree the COM
passion and resentment of the American
people"
| Continuing the report says: The
manifestations of that resentment were
suspended, although the feeling was not
aIlayed, by the self restraint of our people
who determined to hold their Judgment
In suspense concerning their ultimate
action until an official investigation
should disclose the cause OF tnat great
disaster and enable them by direct or cir
cumstantial testimony to impute the re-
sponsibility therefor.
That Investigation has been made. Ii
was conducted with judicial thoroughness
and elaboration. The difficulty OF demon
strating by conclusive proof the efficient
personal cause of that sinister event was
/ mysterious crimes. NO such clHlculuy.
] however. obscures it's official and respon-
i sible cause.
:. The committee say that the explosion
itself Of the Maine was linked with a
series of precedent transactions, which
cannot in reason be disconnected from
! it"
With animus by Spain SO plainly APP
parent that no one can even plauslbly
DENY it's existence, it is merely one reason
for the conclusion to which the 1nvest1-
| eating mind must come in considering
| the entire subject of the relations Of the
United States with that government. 1t
is the opinion of your committee that the
destruction of the Maine was compassed
either by the official act of these Spanish
authorities or was made possible by q
negligence on their part so willing and
gross as to be equivalent IN culpab1llty
to positive criminal action.
.fWhen property and life are destroyed
| by act which the exercise OF due diligence
by the person whose duty it is to use 1T
could have prevented the happening OF
such an event is sufficient proof that the
diligence was not employed.
| "The time of the explosion says the
report, ''must have been calculated for
| the moment when the Maine should
swing within the destructive radius Of
| the m:ne. "
! Concluding this portion of its presenta-
| ton the committee says:
| I'11he duplicity, perfidity and cruelty OF
| the Spanish character as they always have
| been, are demonstrated still to continue
| by their manifestations during the
| present war in Cuba. =
In taking up the more general subjects
| the committee expresses the opinion that
''the United States ought at once to
recognize the independence OF the people
| of Cuba and also ought to intervene to
| the end that the war and its unexampied
atrocities shall cease, ard that such indie
pendence shall become settled political
| TACT at the earliest possible moment by
| the establishment by the free action of
the people of Cuba when such action can
be had of a government independent in
| fact and FORM
The committee assert that the cause of
Spain had continually grown weaker,
while the cause of the insurgents has
grown stronger.
The opinion is expressed that it was the
Intention to depopulate the island and re-
people it with Spaniards. 1t is also as.
serted that the Spanish government has
violated the laws of civilized warfare in
the slaughter of prisoners and the mas
sacre of sick and wounded. The commit
| tee discusses at some length the tw1
propositions for the recognition of the in
| dependence of the Cubans and of inter-
vention. They say that because of the at
titude of the United States. this govern
ment has placed itself in concurrence
with the acts OF Spain never since the
| beginning of the war and that we have
| in a spirit of forbearance submitted to
many atrocities perpetrated by Spain up
/ III which
milton would have had no warrant in in
ternational law, and would have afforded
| Just grounds for procedure by this gov
eminent Hence, it is elaine that there
has been no real neutrality throughout
the entire war 80
| On the subject of intervention the COM
mittee says:
stifcation for intervention is
stronger than in such cases as the present
where the expressions by a state of its
subjects have been so inveterate, atrocious
and sanguinary as to require interven-
| ton by other nations in the interests of
humanity and the peace OF the world, for
the purpose of overthrowing that govern
ment and establishing or recognizing an
other in its place as the only means of ex-
| tirpating otherwise incurable and danger
| us evil
| Conflict of opinion among jurists upon
| the subject on Intervention is very great.
Quoting from ETuI. I1ail anu ObDGfS III
| support of the right of intervention in
cases similar to that of Cuba, the report
| continues as follows:
| eff those opinions state the correct rule,
as we believe they do, the right of inter
vention by the United States in the
present instance is indubitable
''The balance of power and the Monroe
Doctrine are both policies of intervention,
to be effected in certain contingencies in
furtherance of national policies and to
Justify which no canon of international
law was ever invoked.
The committee then quotes from the
messages of President Cleveland of De-
ceDber ~, 1896, and from President Nc
Kinley's message December 26, 1897, in
| support of the committee's contention
that the attitude of the United States to-
ward the present question has been based
upon the right of intervention and the
| intention to exercise it in certain contin-
genoies. Spain refuses to grant indie
pendence.
"The war, then, must go on, and the
misery which has shocked the civilized
| world must continue and increase unless