Kansas City journal., 1898-02-19
inquiry, and congress will be fully advised
OF the result of such investigation"
No Innecesaary EXpenditure.


inquiry, and congress will be fully advised
OF the result of such investigation"
No Unnecessary Expenditure.
Mr. Long states that, in fixing the sum
asked for. the department is at this time
unable to estimate the necessary expense
with any degree of accuracy but he says
he has conferred with the bureau of con.
struction and repair. and that. in case OF
the appropriation requested. only so much
OF II as may be found necessary will be
expended in the work.
The secretary iocioses table showing
the cost of a number of items Of the ord
nance outfit of the vessel, all aggregatine
s5a2 I52.
Mr.. Allen thought 1t very desirable that a
provision be inserted in the resolution fol
the transportation and burial of the, re.
mains of those who host their hyes in the
disaster. = = ~
Mr.. Hale called attention to the fact tina,
reference was made to- the transportation
of the bodies in the letter of the secretary
of the navy. In many, cases, he said, II
would be impossible to bring to this country
the remains of the men Killed, as the bodies
were so badly mutilated and the facilities
for embalming 50 inferior in Havana that
the remains OF many of tine dead were de-
composing. and 1t would be necessary, prob
ably. to bury them at once.
Mr.. Mason hoped that provision would be
made for the transportation of the bodies
10 the United States and for their burial in
this country. To that end. he proposed an
amendment TO the resolution as follows:
After the word thereon and before the
word and insert the following:
And for the transportation and burial OF
the remains of the officers and men so far
possible
The amendment was agreed to. and the
resolution as amended was passed.
Allen Resolution Comes Up.
The resolution offered yesterday by Mr.
Allen, of Nebraska, directing the COMMITTEES
on naval affairs to make an Investigation
of the disaster to the Maine was then laid
before the senate. 1t precipitated the most
furious debate. II -
Mr.. Chandler, of New i.iHampshire
thought that IL the word immediate be
stricken out and the matter left within the
discretion Of the committee there would be
no objection to the resolution.
Mr.. Mason, of Illinois, proposed an
amendment striking out all after the word
resolved" and inserting the following:
BY the senate. the house of representa-
tlves concurring, that a joint committee OF
five. consisting of three members of the
house of representatives and two members
the disaster to the battleship Maine"
Mr.. Hale expressed the hope that Mr.. Ma.
son would not press his substitute The
disaster. he said, was even now being thor.
oughly investigated by the executive de-
partment of the government, and that as
soon as tangible results were reached the
facts would be communicated to congress
Mr.. Hale urged Mr.. Mason to withdraw
his substitute. as it would tend only to EN-.
barrass the executive department. :.
IT had hoped" said Mr.. Hale, f4lat this
entire matter might be disposed Of to-day
without debate. 1t seems to me that, under
the circumstances and in the light of the
UTMOST facilities. it is idle to indulge in de-
bate"
Mr.. Hale said he was willing to withdraw
his objection to the resolution of Mr., AL.
len., but the substitute suggested by Mr
Mason was even more Objectionable in Its
form.
Senator Mason Breaks Loose.
Mr.. Mason followed Mr.. Hale in a speech
replete with sensational utterances. He
said in beginning that he had no disposi.
tion to infiame situation already SO excit-
ing, but he felt that his substitute was
fully justified by the feelings and desires OF
thepeople. ..-
Il understand" said he, that the. navy
the disaster. but 1 also understand thai
congress has the authority to make an i'm.
veshgation. 1t is congressional lin.
vestigation that the people are de.
mandng. They are fast coming to the con
ciusioni that matters concerning this Cnbar
Affair. Including the De LONE letter. Incl
dent and the loss Of the Maine of, whief
they ought to know. are being concealed
from them" .t ,.,-
Mr. Mason said bo did pot dacira to 70
feet upon the motives or honor of any
body. but he suggested that the official:
of the navy department, in making theil
investigation. would be trying their OWL
case, and would naturally endeavor to cover
up any blame that might attach to them
Tho troAble with us is,'' declared Mr.
Mason. Ajtk great ,vehemence, that W,
have adopted the Spanish policy of put
ting everything off until tomorrow. Le
the investigation of this disaster to oul
navy and to our country be thoroughly in
vestigated by congress. and then We shal
know thatiit will be done right"
Waiting Policy Denounced.
Let the people. said Mr.. Mason, have tn,
facts. They want nothing less than in
restigation in their interest by the senate
and the house. Only in this way could tn,
facts which are locked up in the depart
ments be gotten out. The country was tiret
of the secret considerations of such ques
tons He was not willing to strike out o
his resolution the word Immediate"
Everyone was interested in knowing VIII,
blew up the Maine and all wanted that in
formation now. Why delay? Why adop
the Spanish custom of putting off unit
tomorrow what should be done to-day
We had already waited too long. We wer
told three years ago to wait. We hat
waited till night had followed day: winte
had followed summer, and time had gon
on. while the terrible cruelty continued. Il
the meantime. Spanish diplomats had sa
at our tables and partaken of our hospi
tality, while we are still waiting and ha,
continued TO wait until the series of ca
lamities had been crowned by the Main
catastrophe. with its loss of 257 American
lives. In view of these facts he could neve
consent to striking out the word "immedi
ate"
I'VE want an investigation" he said
land We want it now. now. the eternal an,
everlasting now"
Mr.. Hale Interrupts.
Mr.. Hale here interrupted Mr.. Mason t
make statement. He said that so far from
having any desire for delay he was anxiou
to have it go forward from this very time
as the investigation proposed by the nav,
department would, If not interfered with
There was no proposition to postpone in
Quiry. The whole subject matter was evel
now undergoing investigation, and in viey
of the promptness which had been exer
cised there was no reason for impugnin
the motives of the officials of the depart
ment. This being the true state of affairs
there was no occasion for discussion O
incidental matters The members of tn