The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-23
THE AMERICAN.
.. J. ~ .:s.sj s1E. SPANISH. WAR
.:.s ,,..,ito...
I. CONDITION, OF fGE WRECK.
:.ycon.inue;i- rro&tnfst page.)

the after part OF the snip was practically
intact, and sank in that condition very
few minutes after the destruction of the
forward part.
1.-The following facHsrin regard to the
forward part of the SHIP are, however
established by the testiJSiOny:
"A portion of the p1ft side Of the pro-
tectiye deck. which extends from about
frame 30 to about frame, Al. was blown
up, aft, and over to port. The main deck
from about frame so to about frame Al,
was blown. up aft, and slightly over to
starbOard, folding the forward part of the
middle superstructure over and on top of
the after part. 80. -.
This was. in the opinion of the Court,
caused by the partial explosion of two or
more of the forward; magazines of the
Maine. -.
-. At frame H.: the outer shell of the
ship. from point. II IL feet from the
middle line of the ship, and six feet above
the keel when in its normal position, has
been forced up so rs to be now about four
feet above the surface of the water, there
fore about 81 feet above where it should
be had the ship. sunk uninjnred.
'''The outside bottom plating is bent into
a reversed Y shape (AJ, the after wing of
which. about 10 feet broad and 81 feet
in length from frame II to frame 25,,
is doubled back upon itself against the
continuation of the sans. plating. extend
ing forward. -. -.
AT frame IS the vertical keel is brok-
EN- in two. and the fiat keel bent into an
angle similar TO the angle formed by: the
about six feet above the surface of the
wafer and about 30 feet absve its normal
position. -s.'' 30 ~.
I'm the opinion of the Court this effect
could have been produced only by the ex-
plosion of Il mine situated under the bot
tom of the ship at about frame 1S and
somewhat on the port side of the ship
.6. The Court finds that the loss of the
Maine on the occasion named was not in
any respect due to fault or negligence on
the part of any of the officers or members
of the crew of said vessel.
-. In the opinion of the Court the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion of
submarine mine. WHICH caused the par
tial explosion of two or more of the for
ward magazines.
"S. The Court has been unable to oh
tain evidence fixing the responsibility for
the destruction of the Maine upon any
person or persons -'-5t7--
ADMIRAL CERvERAs WARNING
In view of the foregoing finding regard
ing the brutal blowing up of the Maine by
Spanish authorities, it is not improper to
show at this time that Spain knew that
IL
Cuba. she could never do it in an open
and fair naval fight. and that her only sure
method Of winning would be by such
dastardly means as she permitted. if she
did e, NOT specifically ofaeE' in the ease of
Admiral Cervera, vito commanded the
Inflated Spanish fleet, .lffd whom we found
a good deal of mafig,iitong before the
coming of the fleet t3ssiae West India
waters, informed his,,..Eovernment that
the project was time Rm money thrown
p pwhf for lie s wrote een myself sad th. it is
make myself an accoiiifphiice in adventures
which will surely carlSfS the total ruin of
Spain" He does n9I.keep silent. He
proceeds TO tell the 5J3Ieen Regent of
unfinished toy boats: tiAi the resources of
the country are exhalSted, and that there
is no money to buy ney,,Foats or TO make
seaworthy the old onesSIiirhe few fit war
ships Spain has, he Psjnts, out, are not
provided With their .gpA,S. aId. to grown
it all, he told the Queel Regent; that the
common people, of. Spain did not want
war, but that they did want peace. He
told her. that those WhG; were forcing her
to go to war for a little island that was
lost to them anyhow, were very bad adj
visers, and that they did not know what
they were leading her into. But those
who do not want war" he said, are the
ones whO>suffer and weep inside ofrtheir.
own houses, and do not talk as loud as
the minority who profit by the continual
ton Of this state Of affairs-HO or the
Spanish sailors he says: AS for the
crews. do not know them. but | may
say that the crews that defeated our
predecessors at Trafalgar had been re-
cruited in the same way"
After expressing himself thus. Admiral
Cervera added: This is my loyal opin-
ion, and for the sake Of the Nation | ex
press it to the Government. If it is
thought advisable for me to express it
personally, l am ready to start at the
first intimation. After have done this.
thus relieving my conscience of heavy
weight am quite ready to fulfill the
comparatively easy duty of conducting our
forces wherever | may be ordered being
sure that all of them will do their duty"
Then the Queen Regent ordered him
across the sea to Cuban waters. IT must
have been an awful journey for the Ad-
miral. who was a gallant little gentleman.
and who knew that he was taking his little
navy straight to its destruction and his
men 10 almost as certain death. He
probably did not know to what depths his
Government had sunk in its plans for
winning in an unequal fight. and had
never been informed that the blowing up
of the Maine and other battleships. if
they could he enticed into her harbors.
was a part of the scheme of humiliation
which Spain had in view for an enemy
which she could never hope to conquer
on the high seas in open fight.
FINDING OF THE SPANISH COURT.
Some day. undoubtedly, the whole plot
of Spain will re uncovered. just now.
however the finding of the Spanish Court
Of Inquiry on the blowing up of the
Maine is diplomatic lesson'in How not
to make the truth known" The paper
was headed by the Spanish: Finding of
the Spanish Court of Instruction 1t was
well named. The officials who were set to
work by Spain to inquire into the why of
the destruction of the Maine had their
instructions" exactly what to find"
and they found it with neatness and
dispatch. The finding. which follows, is
very rich when contrastsd with the strict
ly technical conclusiohSsof men trained to
their business, and jGal4ps of their honor
and integrity, such as formed the United
States Board of InqlfrE,
"To the Admiral MaittggHoa, Naval Com
mandant-General OF The Station:
''Your Excellency :,{tiSn the night of
Feb. Is last a dreadful Ind extraordinary
event disturbed the usual tranquility and
internal order of this bay. A mournful