The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-25
Gov. MagOon Advises Removal of
the Old Hulk.
Says That 1t Is a Serious Men,
ace to Navigation.
NATIONAL REPROACH.
And an International Scandal,
He Declares.
People Think Uncle Sam Is
Afraid Of Disclosures.

Washington, Jan. Ex-Governor Ma
COON, of the provisional. government of
Cuba in his annual report to the sec
rotary of war, brings to his attention
the wreck of the United States battle
ship Maine in Havana harbor and rec
ommends that the government take
Immediate steps to accomplish its re-
novaI without further delay. He
says:
s-The wreck of the Maine continues
to lie in the mud and waters of Ha-
vana harbor. The sunken battleship
is a serious menace to the shipping
of the harbor as il occupies portion
of the best anchorage. The ohStruc-
ton has increased annually during the
past ten years by causing Shodl- I ne
moderate tides prevailing in the harpol
are hardly sufficient to prevent d Srdu-
nal filing up and this shoal seriously
interferes with the action of the tides
ard therefore, the entire haroof IS
rapidly filing. 1t Will De necesse'F y
in a. short time, to begin dredging IN
order to provide proper anchorage Ior
the large amount of shipping now en-
teTing the harbor unless the wreck Is
removed. The anchorage IS also ie
stricted by the wreck and the shoal'
FOR ships are obliged to anchor at SUI
ficient distance to prevent grounding in
case they strain on their cables.
gwen more important than this Cd
struction to navigation is the 1act liiat
this wreck, although 1t contains the
bodies of IS American seamen, or what
is left of them. is apparently ABANDON
cd and forgotten by the SoVeFn NM
and people of the United states 1hou
sands of Americans and thousands OF
other nationaities annually enter the
harbor of Havana and probably not
one omits to express regret ana cen
sure for the deplorable spectacle II
has become a national reproach ana an
International scandal. The neglect to
remove the wreck is attributed by
many, especially the large spanish con
tingent in Cuba. to the fear that It's
removal will disclose the fallacy or
the popular belief that the Maine was
destroyed by torpedo or mine instead
of an interior explosion; so genefally
does this opinion prevail that peheNe
the Cuban government was deferred
thereby from dealing with the wreck as
an obstruction to navigation OF It's
coastal waters and destroying II; now
ever, it should be added that the Gu
ban authorities were also restrained py
a belief that the United States would
sometime desire and attempt to remove
it and preserve the wreck as a Whole
Instead of breaking it. ups and remeX-
ing it in the more inexpensive man
ner.
1.-THE correspondence on file in the
department of state and the navy De
partment at Washington shows that a
belief prevails in those departments
that it is necessary to secure, by
treaty, or otherwise, the consent OF the
Republic of Cuba to the authorities OF
the United States entering the harbor
of Havana and proceeding with the
work of removal This permission, II
necessary, can be easily secured, and
the Cuban government would gladly at
ford every assistance in it's power to
accomplish the desired result, not only
because of the injury to the harbor
facilities but also because OF the
prompting of patriotism and sentiment
I earnestly recommend that the United
States government take immediate
steps to accomplish the removal with
out further delay
Peace and Tranquility.
Governor Magoen states that the
provisional government of Cuba has
proceeded satisfactorily during the
past year. During the two and one
half years of its existence there has
been a condition of peace and tran
QuiIlity in the island that is creditable
to the highest degree. All of the laws
which the peace commission of 1906
deemed indispensable have been either
enacted or are now so far advanced
in process of enactment that they will
become laws before the termination
of the present government. In addi-
ton. many other laws essential to the
welfare of Cuba have been enacted.
During the past year two important