The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-21
RUMORS AND REPORTS
Washington Officials Pre-
pairing for War. But
Keeping Their
Peace.
sEAMEN's LOSSES REPAID
Conferences and Consultations All
Day-More Fighting IN
Cuba.

be stated positively and authoritatively
that the report of the Court of Inquiry
on the Maine disaster had not been re-
ceived up to noon today. From the same
authoritative source it can be stated that
the present official information is that
the report is not likely to be here before
next Thursday or Friday. This is a ma
terial change from the expectation prior
to this time. The cause of the delay is
not known, but it is assumed that the
conclusions of the court are not yet in
earlier presentation here. The Govern.
ment has made no further purchases OF
war ships, but its negotiations in that
line have been productive of at least one
important result, namely, IN establishing
that unless the battleship General O'Ei1g-
gins becomes the property of the United
States it would not be sold at ALL
SPAIN it is confidently asserted, will not
be able to secure this war vessel, nor are
her chances any better or as good as those
OF the United States. Practically the
same condition prevails as to the Argen-
tine armored cruiser San Martino, which
will become the property of this Govern.
ment if it passes out of the hands OF
Argentina. Aside from these facts, there
was the usual flood of speculative report
current today, including a renewal Of the
report that Lieutenant Blow, one of the
Names survivors, who reached here sat
nnrday, brought letter from ,1s Admiraf ara
the explosion was external, but could not
be directly attributed to the Spanish
Government. Officials high in au-
thority are 10th to make speclnc
denials of these reports. as SO
many of them are afioat, but infer
entially the statement was dismissed as
unWarranted One high official who would
be very likely to know if such information
were brought stated that if it was IN
nand the fact had never been made
known to him, and he very seriously
tnd itS an
1t is undoubtedly true, however, thal
the Names officers who have reacheq1
here expressed it to be their personal
opinion that the cause of the ex-
plosion was external. Lieutenant Blow
is a junior officer compared with Lieu
tenant Holman, another of the Name s
Survivors who arrived here Saturday, ana
Admiral Sicard, it was stated, would not
SO set aside the punctilious requirements
of naval procedure by passing over
higher official h;litv ana 10 ohllrng inioE
officer. Lieut.. Blow has gone to La sane,
Ill. for a rest, and the other Maine sur
vivors are also free TO 60 wnerg enuy nr.
deal through which they have passed;
If the report is coming by Captain
Barker, as some press despatehes inli-
official quarter here Nor indeed IS the
route by which the report will be trans
mitted made public as 1t Woulu mercy
serve to jeopardize its safe TRANSMISSION
and arouse groundless4 conjecture. Cap
tain Barker left Washington the middle
of last week. He is the naval alde 10
Secretary Long, and 1t IS naturaly N
ferred that his going from the Secretary
to Key West at this time had some di-
rect relation to the important pending
question Further than this, however,
the naval officials will say nothing as TO
the purposes of his trip.
Secretary Longs office at the Navy De-
partment was again the centre OF conIere
ences today. Senator Hale, CHAIRMAN OF
the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs,
was one of the early callers ana spent
half an hour with Mr.. Long. Mr.. Hale
went from the Secretary's office to the
White House and had talk with the
President. Within a short time he was
followed by Secretary Long, VINO spent
some time with the President. The Sec
retary carried with him pundie OF oocu-
ments, which. however. has become ms
usual custom. Senator Hanna came to
the Secretary's office during his absence
and learning that he was with the Presl-
dent spent some time in conference with
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt.
The Spanish Minister called at the
State Department today and presented
Messrs. Angulo, Valera ana Caaenas,
who are the representatives of the Au-
tonomous Cabinet at Cuba With this
presentation negotiations toward com
mercial treaty will be opened. A high
officer Of the navy who has intimate
knowledge Of its affairs, said today
ss,The greatest difficulty is being expert
enced by the Government in procuring
ships from abroad, but it is hard at
work and is making as much progress as
could reasonably be expected, under the
circumstances. Spain is rushing work on
their war vessels. The Pelayo, its largest
and best battleship. is practically READY
for sea, and it's second biggest ship, the
Carlos v. will be ready in fortnight or
three weeks.
The officials of the Navy Department
are doing everything in their power to
prepare for any possible conflct any
thing however. which Is gotten IN the
way of tugboats and yachts will be but
to learn that the only way to prepare Tor
an emergency is to see that the navy is
put in first rate shape long before the
emergency arises, and this can be done
only by building battleships and torpedo
destroyers; by adding permanently to our
naval lists officers and men, and by i'm
mediately passing through Congress the
pending personnel BILL which is absolutely
necessary to the handling OF the new
navy.
tions SO far made with the materials at
hand are eminently satisfactory. The
greatest preparation that has been mace
was the drilling of battleships and tor
pedo boats last summer, ana as a result
the navy is now doubly as efficient as one
year ago.
The people of the United States may
trust to the navy with absolute confidence
that it Will respond to every call with the
highest credit to itself and the nation.
The question of the purchase of the
81 Higgins is still in the air. Spain will
not get her, and if she is sold it will be to
the United States.
+ Lieutenant Commander J. E. Pillsbury,
commanding the dynamite cruiser vesu-
vius. which has Just arrived at the Wash
ington Navy Yard from Florida, was at
the Navy Department today in conference
with the officials regarding the future Of