The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-03
No Attempt to Influence the Court of
Inquiry to Bring i'm Verdict of
'AccidentaI Explosion."
STATEMENT FROM Mr.. ALGER
ADMINISTRATION HAS KEPT NO IN.
FORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC.
Much Comment Caused by n Big Order
iards--A Cardinals Views.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

SIecial to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, March 2. - Secretary
Longs expression of opinion that the ques-
tion of Spanish official participation" in
the Maine explosion may be considered as
eliminated, it being very generally charac-
terized as 'indiscreet' by administration
well-wishers, and as ill-timed and worse by
the opposition. The secretary acknowledges
that he has no information about the disas-
ter not shared by the public. yet he appears
as doing something the rest of the world
has been urged not to do, namely, express
ing opinions in advance of the official find
ing as to the facts.
Secretary Long is not the only overzeaIous
friend of the administration who has over
stepped the bounds of propriety in an en-
deavor to calm the public" and thereby
create an impression not warranted by the
facts, that the President is committed to
the accident theory in explanation of the
explosion of the Maine. The President
would be very glad, indeed, if the official
finding of the board of inquiry should re-
lieve the Spanish authorities of all taint or
suspicion of completely in the destruction
of the battle ship, but he has been very
careful not to express an opinion as to what
the verdict would or should be. He has
settled himself down to wait the result of
the official investigation into the facts and
has resolutely refused to discuss politics
based on hypothetical verdicts or condi-
tions. In that he has set his friends and the
pubic splendid example Of COURAGEOUS
patience. Secretary Longs utterance is
probebly the most conspicuous official ex-
ception to the White House suggestion to
suspend judgment until we have the facts.
that has come to notice. The remark was
doubtless innocent in itself, but it has been
seized on and given broad and warranted
significance, much to the annoyance of the
President and the Republicans in Congress.
The attempt has even been made to create
the impression that the secretary of the
navy intended the utterance as hint to the
board of inquiry to bring in a verdict of
accidental explosion" Nothing could be
more absurd or unjust. The members of the
board are men who could not be influenced
by an official intimatiOn that a certain kind
of verdict was wanted. They are without
exception, gentlemen of the highest char
acter, and, besides, beyond the need of a
care what the secretary of the navy might
want them to do in the way of a finding
They outlast secretaries of the navy and
Presidents of the United States. But there
could be named, which is, that neither the
President nor any member of his official
family has the faintest desire to have a
fact concealed or colored. They want the
exact facts ascertained and given to the
public in their fullest details. There is a
deep and honest determination existent ev-
erywhere to probe the mystery to the very
bottom, and then to take the public into
full confidence as to the result, SO that inn
partial judgment may be pa ssed on them
by thewhole country. Secretary Long is as
desirOus that this snall be done as the wild
est jingo, and any one who thinks other
wise makes a great mistake. He happened
to let slip an unlucky remark, which is
paguing him and some of his friends; that
is all.
INTERVIEW. WITH ALGER.
The Washington Post will tomorrow
print the following interview with Secre-
tary of War Alger: "The statement of Sec
retary Long that Spain's official participa-
ton in the disaster to the Maine has been
practically eliminated was merely an ex-
preston of personal opinion on his part. 1t
is an injustice to him as well as to the ad-
ministration 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 re-
peat what has been said heretofore, that
the public is equally as we'll informed as
the government-no member of the admin
istration can. of course make official decla-
ration touching Spain's responsibility NOR
al or otherwise. There is not an iota of in
formation as to the cause or origin of the
explosion on which the government can, at
a pr has AZ
cision. The verdict of the court of inquiry
on that point must patiently be awaited"
Beyond this Secretary Alger would not be
quoted but he authorized the Post to state
most positively that no official information
was being withheld from the public; that
the administration was adhering 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 officially to the departments
bearing upon the loss of the Maine and the
250 brave seanen.
The one other Cuban incident that is caus-
ing comment to-day is the awarding of a
contract by the War Department for ST.
100000 worth OF heavy projectiles before the
expenditure had been formally authorized
by Congress. 1t is conceded TO have been
an emergency proceeding, and has had a
disquieting effect on those who have been
preaching that all danger of trouble is over
and are trying to lull the country into the
same theory. 1t seems that officials of the
War and Navy Departments had been
warned some time ago to look out for an
aggressive Spanish movement about the be-
ginning of the rainy season in Cuba, and
that, while not taking much stock in the
story, have, nevertheless. given the matter
due consideration. Should Spain really be-