Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-01-26
SHOULD ReM0KElwREcK
or MAINE, SAYS M0G00G
(By the Associated Press,


GOV. Magoon, OF the Provisional gov
eminent of Cuba. in his annual re-
pert to the Secretary of War mad"
public tocay brings to his atten'i'n
the wreck Of the United States battle
ship Maine In Havana harbor AMI
recommends that the government
take immediate steps to accomplish
its removal without further delay.
He says:
The wreck OF the Maine continues
to lie in the mud and waters OF Ha'
vana harEor. The sunken battleship
/: "el.cus menace to the shippin"
Of the harbcr as il occupies a por'
ticn of the best anchorage. The OBJ
struc,ion has increased annually dur
ing the past ten years by causing
shoai. The moderate tides prevail
ing in the harbor are hardly sufficient
to prevent gradual filing up and
this shoal seriously interferes with
the action Of the tides and, therefore.
the entire harbor is rapidly filing
II will be necessary in a short time
10 begin dredging in order tc PROVIDE
proper anchorage for the large
amount Of shipping now entering the
harbor unless the wreck is renewed.
The anchorage is also restricted by
the wreck and tn" shoal. for ships are
obliged to anchor al sufficient distance
to prevent grounding in case they
strain on their cables.
Even more important than this
obstruction to navigation is the fact
that this wreck. although it contains
the bodies Of sixty-three American
hcamen. or what is left of them
apparently abandoned and forgotten
by the government and people OF the
United States. Thousands OF Amerf
cans and thousands of other nation
alities annually enter the barber OF
Havana and probably not one omits
to express regret and censure for the
deplorable spectacle. Ii has become
a national reproach and an fnterna-
tional scandal. The neglect to re-
move the wreck is attributed by many
the large Spanish contin
gent in Cuba, to the fear that its re-
moval will disclose the fallacy CT the
popular belief that the Maine was
destroyed by a torpedo or mine in
stead Of an interior explosion: so
does this opinion prevail
that I believe the Cuban government
was deferred thereby from dealing
with the wreck as an obstruction t.
Of its coastal waters ana
destroying 1t: however. it should be
added that the Cuban authorities
were also restrained by a belief that
the United States would some time
desire to attempt to remove it. and
preserve tine wreck as whole instead
Of breaking it up and removing it in
the mere inexpensive manner.
The correspondence on file in the
of State and the Navy
at Washington shows
hat a belief prevails in those depart.
ments that 1t is necessary to secure
by a treaty or Otherwise. the Essen
Of the Republic of Cuba to lie au
thcrities OF the United Stat. enter
ing the harbor OF Havana before pro-
ceeding with the work OF removal:
his permission. if necessary. can be
easily secured. and the Cuban gov
eminent would gladly afford assist
ance in its power to accomplish the
desired result, not only because OF
he injury to the harbor facilities. but
also because of the prompting Of pa
'riOtism and sentiment. earnestly
that the United States
government take immediate steps to
accomplish the removal without fur,
her delay"