Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-31
DESTROYED YSPAMARDS
Official Synopsis of the Report Of
the Board of Inquiry on
the Maine Disaster.
SPANISH AGENCY CLEARLY SHOWN.
The Responsibility of the Government,
However, Not Established Evil
dence, it is Said, is Much More DAM
ajing to Spain than the Boards Find
ings Suggest.

WASHINGTON, March 25.-The follow
ing is officially sanctioned as a synop-
sis of the findings on the destruction of
the Maine:
''The board of inquiry into the loss
of the Maine finds that the explosion
which destroyed the Maine was from
the outside, and does not fix the re-
sponsibility for the disaster. 1t does
not express an opinion as to the char
acter of the explosive, but the testi-
mony goes to show that it was a pow
erful submarine mine, the exact char
acter of which is not determined by
the testimony, though the belief was
expressed that it was what is known
as a floating submarine mine. There
were two explosions, the board finds.
The first was from the outside, and
that set off one of the smaller maya
zines"
Authority for the statement that this
is what the findings show was given at
the White House late this afternoon,
just before the second cabinet meeting
of the day began. 1t seemed best to
the president that the public should
know at once the substance of the re-
port. Hence this action was taken.
Report and Findings.
A distinction must be made between
the findings and the report. This was
pointed out Monday morning in the
forecast which was then given, and
which is borne out by the official an
nouncement this afternoon. The
findings are the conclusions which
the court felt justified in reach
ing. The report is review
and an explanation of the tes-
timony. 1t is more sensational than
the findings. In the testimony, state
ments far more damaging to Spanish
authority than the findings indicate
were made. Assertions were offered
and suspicious circumstances report
ed, which, however, were not sufi-
GENTLY well supported to warrant the
| court in accepting them as proven.
The report and the testimony will
make a much graver imp1 ession on the
public than the findings. The average
reader will not stop to weigh tHsti-
nony with the judicial discrimination
of the court. He will very quickly ac-
cept the drift of the testimony. The
American people will feel that, while
Blanco and the higher officials of the
government may have been ignorant
of the plot, the Maine was destroyed
with the connivance of Spanish off,
Gals of sufficient rank to make
| Spain more responsible than the
findings indicate. The findings are
| guarded. The report goes farther, re-
viewing testimony which seems to
have bearing on the conspiracy. The
testimony itself is startlingly sugges-
tive of the not fully proven details of
the shameful deed.
A member of the cabinet, speaking
with a close personal friend, this even
The testimony is far worse than the
report. 1t is very bad
Unless there shall be a change in the
presidents intentions, the findings,
the report and the testimony will go to
congress at 12 o'clock on Monday. The
papers will be received and referred
! to the committees on foreign relations
and foreign affairs without debate.
The fact that, with the reception of the
papers, the Maine affair becomes the
business of congress, has not attracted
attention.
The Situation Regarded Decidedly Crit.
ical.
WASHINGTON. March 26.-The after
noon cabinet session yesterday lasted
until nearly $40 o'clock. The entire
situation was discussed at length, but
no definite or final conclusions on any
particular point was reached. The sit
uation is regarded as decidedly critical
and it is feared that there will be great
difficulty in avoiding trouble. Minis