The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-21
Opinions as Voiced by the News
papers.
Editorial Comment on the Loss
of the Maine.
DISASTER AT HAVANA
Universally Discussed by the
American Press.
UndertOne of Menace is Heard
Pending Disclosures.

Not in years have the newspapers Of
America given themselves up so gener-
ally to one single subject as they have
to chronicling the terrible disaster to
the battleship Maine and her crew.
East, west, north and south has page
upon page been filled with the one
theme, while through it all runs a tone
3 of sadness. doubt, speculation and sus-
picion mounting ofttimes to anger.
Demand for a searching, painstaking
and impartial inquiry is practically uni
versal, as will be seen in the subjoined
editorial extracts. An undercurrent Of
menace runs through the councils to
calmneSs.
1t is assumed as unquestionabIe in
the dispatches of Consul General Lee
capt. S1gSbee and others that the Span
dsh authorities had no connection with
the explosion. They could have no pos
s1ble interest to promote by it. On the
contrary, the event, as tending to ex-
cite suspicion and further embitter re-
latlons with the United States, must
have been particularly unWelcome to
Spain--BaItimOre Sun
Spain, with her past record has no
right to be indignant because she has
been suspected. If American opinion
has misjudged her it will make honor
able amends. If not, there will be an
interesting sequel to the disaster.-Cin-
c1nnau Commercial.
Pending investigation the American
people should maintain their present
attitude of cOolness and seIf-cOntrol
Then no matter what the investigation
may disclose, they will have nothing to
regret and the government will be able
to shape its action according to ascer-
tained facts.-Indianapoli Journal.
There is happily no doubt on one
po1nt-the officers and crew of the
Spanish warships at Havana did gal
liant service in rescuing from the shark
infested waters of the harbOr the poor
-,
escape instant death by explosion
Boston Globe.
No one knows very clearly what
would happen to a modern battleship if
dt ever got into battle, but it has re-
peatedIy been shown te be a very dan
gerous thing in time of peace.-Phila-
delphia Times.
Spain has just now too many reasons
for avoiding cause of offense to US to
make it permissible to suppose that
she would not exercise due diligence
to protect a ship of our navy visiting
her waters.-New York Times.
Reviewing all the circumstances, it
is not surprising that while everyone
must hope the disaster was purely acci-
dental, there are few who have not a
lurking thought that it may possibly
have been otherwise-Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
We may see from what happened in
the harbOr of Havana what is possible
and even likely to happen If two mod
ern ships of war ever engage in actual
conflict. A fight at sea will mean the
loss of one or the other, of millions Of
money and hundreds or thousands of
men.-St. Paul Globe.
If there was not Spanish treachery at
the bottom of it there was American
negligence or mismanagement. No
great battleship blows itself up by
process OF spontaneous combustion. The
excuse of accident" can never be ac-
cepted.-Pittsburg Post.
If Spain wanted to bring on hOstilities
not she would hardly find any comfort
in such slaughter as that in the harbor
of Havana. Until the real cause of the
explosion is known, it is unfair to ac-
cuse the Spanish people of any COM
pIicity in it-Pittsburg Times.
Spain is not progressive, but it is civ
ilized, and no civilized government
would plan in time of peace a massa-