The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-17
A CLOSED INCIDENT.


There were recently filed with the Span
ish Claims Commission, at Washington,
several claims on behalf OF heirs Of VIC
Tins of the battleship Maine disaster, in
Havana harbor on the night of Feb. Is.
1898. Those who delight in sensations i'm
mediately saw in these claims the posi-
bilities of hair-raising stories of plots.
villainies and explosions, for it was
deemed inevitable that the commission
would have to enter into a long investiga-
ton OF the responsibility for the destruc-
tion of the Maine That would reopen the
whole matter, and call for an official de-
termination of how the Maine was de-
stroyed and who was responsible for the
catastrophe. Yellow journalism was glee-
full at the prospect of dishing up the old
horror again, and once more putting
Spain upon the rack.
The government, however is going to
Put a stop to anything of the sort. 1t re-
CARDS the destruction of the Maine, in so
far as SPANS responsibility may be con-
cerned, as a closed incident. The destruc-
tion Of Spanish lives and property and
the loss of Spanish territory that result
ed as a consequence of the war. atoned
for and settled any responsibility which
may have rested upon Spain for the
Maine affair. This was recognized in the
treaty of peace, when 1t was stipulated
that all war claims for indemnity, ma
ticDal and individual, of every kind, of
either government or of citizens or sub
jects, against the other government
should be relinquished. In the same arti-
Gle of the treaty the government of the
United States binds itself to "adjudicate
and settle all claims of its citizens
against SPAIN relinquished in the articles
of the treaty. On March 30, 1893, Congress
PASSED an act for the relief of the Maine
sufferers in which it was expressly stipu-
lated that payments made under its pro
visions should be 'in full satisfaction of
any and all claims whatsoever against
the United States" 1t is understood that
the Attorney General holds that the
treaty provisions and the language Of the
act of Congress referred to preclude the
opening of the Question Of responsibility
for the Maine explosion by the Spanish
Claims Commission. Congress having pro-
vided for the Maine victims by special
enactment, it is the opinion of the At
torney General that the Maine claims
should take the course designated in that
enactment and not turn upon how the
battleship was destroyed.
1t is reported. in a Washington dis
patch, that a majority of the Spanish
Claims Commission agree that the posi-
ton of the Attorney General is correct,
and will therefore decline to enter into an
inquiry as to the causes that led to the
blowing up of the Maine Thus a promised
sensation peters out Meanwhile prepara-
tions for raising the Maine have not
been abandoned. The vessel will probably
be foated eventually, and it is possible
that the exact nature of the explosion
will be determined from the condition of
her plates But it Is not likely that any
opinion formed from a post mortem''
examination of the ship will have any
bearing upon the claims. The government
is disposed to regard the explosion as an
incident closed by the war and the treaty.
1t certainly could not be taken up with
Spain again.