The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-22

the suggestion that had been made that
the President should be allowed a reason
able time to consider it before giving it to
the public and felt sure that the public
would take the same view. In so important
a matter he said the country can we'll af-
ford to give the chief executive, in whom
it has SO much confidence, reasonable time
for delberation, feeling assured that the
full report will then be given out and MOTH
ing withheld The same official also ex-
pressed the hope that this same confidence
which is felt in the President will lead Con-
gress and the public to recognize that the
President has better sources OF information
than are possessed by anybody else by
reason of his communications with foreign
governments and his diplomatic channels
and if anybody can shape a policy which
will lead to a satisfactory settlement of the
present critical situation it is the Presi-
dent The solution, he added, may not be
far off after all. The country may be sure
of one thing-that the President will safe
guard it's rights and its honor to the ut
most, and will at the same time let no
opportunity slip to preserve these with
peace.
There was the usual crop OF rumors to-
day, including a renewal Of the report that
Lieutenant Blow, one of the Names sur
vivors who reached here Saturday, brought
letter from Admiral Sicard. containing the
information that the explosion was ex-
ternal, but could not be directly attributed
to the Spanish government. Officials high
in authority are loath to make specific de-
malls of these reports, as so many of them
afioat, but inferentially the statement
was dismissed as unwarranted. One high
official, who would be very likely to know
if such information had been brought,
stated that if it was in hand the fact had
never been made known to him, and he
very seriously doubted it's correctness. 1t
is undoubtedly true however, that the
Names officers who have reached here
expressed it to be their personal opinion
that the cause of the explosion was ex-
ternal. Lieutenant Blow is junior officer,
compared with Lieutenant Holman, another
of the Maine survivors, who arrived here
Saturday, and Admiral Sicard, it was
stated would not so set aside the punctil-
ious requirements of naval procedure by
overlooking or passing over a high official
and committing such a grave responsibility
to a junior officer. Lieutenant Blow has
gone to La Sale, ILL.,, rest, and the
Maine survivors are also to go where
ordeal through which they we passed.
If the report is coming by Captain Bark
er, as some press dispatches Intimate, the
fact is not disclosed in any official quarter
here. Nor indeed is the routine by which
the report will be transmitted made public,
as it would merely serve to jeopardize it's
safe transmission and arouse groundless
conjecture. Captain Barker left Washing
hn mid d1n Nf II
naval aid of Secretary Long, and it is nat
urally inferred that his going from the sec
retary to Key West at this time had some
direct relation to the important pending
question. Further than this, however, the
naval officials will say nothing as to the
purpose of his trip.
The short session of the Senate to-day
was quite unusual for the first working day
OF the week. That no one was prepared to
go on with any pending measure was given
as the explanation, but privately the opin-
ion was stated by some of the senator's that
while the Cuban question remained in such
suspense there was desire to take up
important legislation. The outlook as to
Cuba was discussed among senators al
most to the exclusion of other topics and
the belief was quite decided that the admin
istration is preparing to take positive
stand within the next week. Several sem
ators made the prediction that the United
States would intervene. Being pressed for
a reason, they stated that they had reached
this conclusion after more or less confer
erce with executive officers, but at the same
time saying quite emphatcally that they
had no positive information on this point
Other senator's thought the recognition of
Cuban independence more probable than in
tervention. Almost all expressed the view
that some action surely will follow the re-
port of the Maine court of inquiry, regard
less of it's purport.