The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-03-08

Washington, March 3.-The main in
terest of the day in connection with
the Maine inquiry centered in state
ment by Secretary Long, following the
cabinet meeting, that in his personal
opinion any official participation by the
Spanish government in the blowing up
of the Maine was now practically
eliminated from the situation. This
statement was not of a formal or Of
fetal character, and was made by Mr..
Long as he walked away from the
White House. AS usual the various
cabinet officers were besieged with in
quirieS as to the questions before the
meeting, and in response to these I'M
portunities the secretary rather casual
ly summed up the situation in few
words, stating that most Of the time
had been given to the outrages on col
Ored postmaSterS in the South. Nat
urally the Cuban situation had been
gone over, he said, but there were no
actual developments, and he felt that
public excitement over the subject had
materially abated. Then he added the
statement, in the same passing way,
that any participation by the Spanish
government in the blowing UP of the
Maine was practically eliminated, in
his Judgment. This last remark was
speedily given wide circulation apart
from the quieting references which
had accompanied it. Persons occupy
ing the closest relations with the Sec
rotary said that the opinion expressed
was such as any one might give with
the facts now at hand. 1t was not in
any sense, it was explained, a con-
cllsion drawn from new evidence, not
made public, either from the court of
inquiry Or any officer now concerned In
the inquiry. Neither 1lcts or intima-
lions have come from such sources, 1t
is said at the department, which would
serve as the basis of an opinion. The
Official Declaration
of Senior du Bose, the Spanish charge
d'affaires, that no mines or submarine
defenses exist in the harbOr of Ha-
vana had come to the attention of Sec
rotary Long, and this statement from
the authorized representative Of the
Spanish government was felt to have
been given it's due weight in the Opin-
ion expressed by the secretary. 1t
was poiEted out by persons bearing
close relations to the secretary that the
language used was official participa-
ton" on the part of the Spanish gov
eminent This, 1t was said, had no
bearing on the question of SPANS re-
sponsibility. The "official participa-
ton" Of Spain was one thing; while
the responsibility Of Spain in case the
disaster proved to be of external
origin, was quite another thing. The
secretary'S statement was restricted.
it was explained, to exculpating Spain
from direct, official knowledge and
participation in the affair. In case 1t
was shown that the act was due to
some fanatic or person not connected
with the government, then the ques-
ton of SPANS responsibility would be
still open.
No dispatches of any character from
Key West, where the court of Inquiry
is sitting were given out during the
day, and as the rule of publicity Is still
IN force, presumably nothing came
from that quarter. The vessel move
ments announced during the day were
devoid Of significance.
Orders went out from the navy de-
partment to put the ironclads MAN.
tonomah and Katahdin into commits
sion by the 10th inst. They are now
at the League Island navy yard where
they have been laid up for 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 Kew
West awaiting on the court of inquiry
which, without doubt, will have fin
ished with them by the 10th inst.
Havana, March 4-Without adding