The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-03
RAISING THE MAINE.

l U
 RAISING THE MAINE.
 The question of raising the wreck of the Maine Is becoming what we may almost call burning one, and some recent newspaper editorials bring the matter up in such . way that the wonder is that nothing has been done. The Hartford Courant says. for exam pie:
 It's going to cost a good deal of money to remove the wrecked and almast lnot quite). totally submerged Maine .,. from the hsrsor ssa, .bess Sf leach sufficient by itself-why the money should be spent ungrudgingly. The wreck Is the cofin of some scores 1t were lying in the inaccessible sea depths, no one could ask or wish for them nobler sepuiture: but as 1t IS, snsy are ss sn.sa onntry to Which they died. In Havana harbor the wreck Is -esf- obstruction and a possible menace to shopping still afioat; .a. that's ,s l that we owe 1t 10 Spain, and equally to our own national self respect. defl- nifeiy to settle the question whether ms,pe Sns Rsesson was ex.srnsi naS1 or intsrnaI-g whether the ship was blown up from malice Or by human careiessness. I Eleven years ago our board of experts reported that the explosion was ex- 1 ternaI: Spain instantly and reaentfuliy challenged the report as an odious in-. Maine's hull In the ooze of Havana | harbor, 1t will be open to- spain to say--she will have every right to say-that we are afraid of the huifs
 In a similar strain The NewBedford standard says:
 governor Magoon Of Cuba speaks with none too much emphasis in his annual report of the failure to raise the wreck of the battleship Maine. vsssef S1a '1Sss nas rsstsd at the bottom of Havana harbor to create, as Governor Magoon says, "a national reproaeh wreck in tho middle of the harbor is creating a shoal, already large enough to be a menace to nayigafioni the bodies of sixty-three American satl- sci: and the mystsry which attended her destruction has never been cleared up. An these considerations demand the rsislng of the Maine. and the re- it will not be an occasion of danger: For some reason hitherto unexplained the Unitsd states government has wreck. ' and has rather disconraged propositions that the Cuban govern ment should do the work. There have was due to fear of a revelation that the explosion was from the Inside, and therefore not to be imputed to a Spanish etnissary. If ever there was time for enteftaininT 1t, if there was | ever such time, has gone by. Every reasonable consideration demands that the Maine shall be removed from the hAfbor of Havana l-f ssas.Takius dslf these facts Unto consid- eratIon 1t is difacult to understand how our government can longer delay action, and equally difficult to under stand why something eGrectivs has not already been done, Leaving out all questions of danger to shipping. and leaving out ali considerations of duty to the, dead, there's no denying that our country and government are lying under e grave imputation. We may hoot at the charge made by Cubans and other Spaniards that the vessel was wrecked by an explosion from the inside. but the charge has been made and nothing will put 1t down but ab- solute proof that the explosives were outside the vessel If the wreck is raised there should be no difficulty about making such an examination as will be satisfactory to all.
 The imputation that our government is and has been afraid of a thorough investigation may possibly be unjust. but all must admit that there is ground for it. The assertions of Spain and Cuba that the entire responsibility for the disaster rests on our own shoulders cannot be set aside by de- nials. They can only be disproven by careful and impartial examination. If the explosion came from the inside whether by intention or accident, the truth ought to be known and our | government should have the fairness and honesty to admit it's responsibility. If the damge was done by torpedoes or other explosives placed in the way by outside parties that fact should be so clearly and definitely established that there would be no more charges or imputations against the country The matter can be settled to the sat- isfaction of all, so far as the actual cause of the wreck is concerned, and it ought to5be done. Our government owes this to itself as well as to Spain. ----S-~e--S---
 The abatement has been de6ni+eIv