The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-07


In his interesting address in this city
Monday evening General Fitzhugh Lee gave
his theory regarding the destruction of the
battleship Maine. After relating the cir
cumstances Of the explosion and describ-
ing the scene of fire and carnage he wit
messed on visiting the locality a few min
utes after the event, he said:
My theory is that it was done by young
officers who had been attached to Weyler.
After the catastrophe they disappeared.
Young officers Of the army did not take
the trouble to hide their pleasure over the
their usual rotations of red wine and
opened. bottles of champagne in the cafes.
The government of Cuba Immediately tried
to forestall European opinion by sending
a dispatch which stated that the explosion
had been caused by the carelessness of the
Americans themselves. AS 10 that 1 want
10 say that the keys to the magazine of
every American man-of-war are brought
to the captain and are hung on hooks at
the head OF his bed so that he can know
where they are all the time. When the div
ers went to work on the Maine, Captain
Sigsbee said to him: Go into my cabin
and see if the keys to the magazine are
hanging where they ought to be-" The
divers came up with the KEYS. They had
found them hanging by the side of the cap
tain's bed. Furthermore. the investigation
brought out that the plates of the fore
part OF the snip were Dent upward. showing
clearly that the force of the explosion had
been directed from the bottom. The court
Of inquiry heard plenty of testimony which
showed that there had been two explosions;
one when the torpedo went off and tore it's
way TO the ships magazine, and the other
when the magazine itself exploded with a
roar.
Aside from the details in this statement
bearing on the point at issue 1t is interest
ing as showing that after a lapse of more
than four years. ana when the passions of
the period nave entirely subsidized, General
Lee is still of opinion that the primary
cause of the destruction of the Maine was
an explosion from the outside, caused by
young officers of the Spanish army. The
reasons given for this view recall some
phases of contemporary discussion, and
the fact that they are still convincing to a
man of General Lees ability. who was in
close touch with current events i'm Havana
at the time, gives great weight to them.
He evidently thinks that an explosion of
the ships magazine may have contributed
TO it's destruction. but that this explosion
was caused by one from the outside, done
deliberately. The incident of finding the
magazine keys in their proper place tends
TO show that the magazine had been
properly closed and guarded. If General
Lees theory is correct that the explosion
from the outside was caused by young Of
ficers of the Spanish army enc is at a loss
tc account for their motive. Whatever it
was the act was a %stupendous blunder on
their part. for it precipitated the war.
Possibly the train of events would have
brought on war anyhow, but this made it
inevitable. In his annual message of 1897.
delivered only two months previous to the
catastrophe. President Mckinley had dis
cussed the Cuban question in a temperate
spirit, had advised against recognizing the
independence Of Cuba or the Cubans as
belligerents, and had indicated his hope
OF a peaceable solution of the situation.
'If it shall hereafter appear he said. ito
be a duty imposed by our obligations TO
ourselves. TO civilization and humanity. TO
intervene with force, it shall be without
fault on our part and only because the
necessity for such action will be so clear as
to command the support and approval of
the civilized world" The destruction of the
Maine ended all hope of peace, and from
that moment the war spirit was irresistible.
A month after it happened Congress APP
propriated 5 100000 for the national de-
Tense and President Mckinley began 10
rush preparations for the war which soon
followed. II the destruction of the Maine
had been caused by the war party in the
United States for the purpose OF forcing
the Presidents hand and precipitating a
war which, up TO that time, he had been
hoping TO avert. it could not have worked
more directly TO that end. And. by the way.
il is one Of the paradoxes of history that
the very party and the very men who at
that time were trying TO force the govern
ment into war with Spain are now denounc-
ing II for prosecuting the war to a logical
conclusion and pursuing a policy which
the war made inevitable.
The real cause OF the destruction of the
Maine is still a mystery, though there is
strong reason for accepting General Lees
view. The report OF the United States
court OF naval INQUIRY sustained the theory