The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-18

from baltimore to Norfolk She viii also
go southwark to join the hotilia at Key
West.
The Columbia and Minneapolis are still
each 2s0 r7en short Of their fun quota, but
Il Is expected that enough men viii be se-
cured In the course Of a few days 10 en-
able the ships 10 be seat to Hampton
Roads to execute the orders issued today.
The Spanish minister called at the state
department. and remained with Judge Day
something over an hour. Both parties 10
the conference were extremely reserved AZ
iss conclusion. It IS understood. however,
that 1t developed no new phases. but was
a general talk. in which pacific assurances
were exchanged and 4 hopeful view OF the
situation expressed.
At that time the naval orders taking the
hattleships Texas and Massachusetts from
Key West and assigning them TO the fleet
az Hampton Roads were not known at the
state department, so the minister was not
officially informed Of the fact. He heard
IL later. and was naturally much gratified,
as the gradual strengthening of the fleet
at Key West had been the subject OF grave
apprehenSions by the Spanish government.
The semi-official statement given out at
Madrid that demand for indemnity based
on Spanish responsibility for the Maine ex-
pios.on would be indignantly repelled by
Spain attracted much interest In official
circles. There has been little doubt for
some time that Spain was preparing for
the contingency of an adverse report by
the American court Of inquiry, and to tha.
end was preparing TO anticipate and offset
II by making clear the governments policy
of standing by the report OF the Spanish
commission. The report OF the latter body
was due In Madrid yesterday, and while
its conclusions are not officially known, il
Is foregone conclusion that * will find
that the Maine disaster was due to acct
dent, resulting III internal explosion. This
was foreshadowed in the advance utter
ance OF Capt. Peral. head OF the Spanish
commission, who stated publicly several
days ago that the theory OF external ex-
piosion was untenabie
Along with the semi-official statement
from Madrid that the demand for indem-
nifty will be Indignantly repelled, is the
further statement from reliable sources
that Spain has made it clear 10 the author
st.es here that Intervention may lead 10
war. The prospects OF such intervention
appear 10 be seriously entertained by
Spain. and strong efforts nave been made
to avert it by showing that the condition
OF the reconcentrados does NOT warrant.
me step, and also that l. would threaten
to end all prospects Of further pacific neso-
taiions.
Each government has been sounding the
other on its activity in searching for ships,
but there has been little ground for obJec-
,ion on either side, as bo:n have been in
the same market. The administration ex-
plains is buying of ships on the ground
that Spaln's attitude has been 50 men,
acing as naturally TO call for an augment
ia navy. while Spain takes the same view
that the activity in the United States re-
quires suitable preparations by the Span
iSa navy.
The report that Spain had protested
against a fIibustering expedition to Porto
Rico cannot be verified. as officials here
say this expedition has not as yet gone