Fergus County Democrat., 1911-07-11

that the disaster could have been
caused only by the explosion of a
mine situated under the bottom of
the ship about frame 18 and some.
what on the port side; that there
was no negligence on the part Of the
officers, and that the court was "un-
able to find any evidence fixing the
responsibility
A few days later the Spanish re-
port OF the affair was given out. It
quoted the declarations OF experts
and Of alleged eyewitnesses and in
sisted that the circumstances were
absent (Which are invariably present
on the occasion OF the explosion OF
torpedo" The report was insistent
on the point that there was only one
explosion; that it was distinctly seen;
that mo column Of water was thrown;
that no shock to the side OF the near
est vessel was felt, nor on land was
any vibration noticed, and that no
dead fish were found This report
remarks that the divers were unable
10 examine the bottom Of the Maine
but that the rents and breaks on the
side 81 the vessel all pointed out
ward
Twenty-ninc days after the findings
of the Sampson court OF inquiry were
given out. the two houses Of congress
authorized President Mckinley to
make war upon Spain, on the ground
that the people Of the island OF Cuba
are, and OF right ought to be, free
and independent" and that it was
"the duty Of the United States to de
mand that Spain relinquish its au-
thority.' 1t was a jingo era; this
country's public readily recalls many
OF its sensational incidents. The
Maine disaster, whatever the cause
Of it, was 4 good-enough ground for
war, to the mind Of those who want
ed war. 1t appears to be i'll the ma
ture Of accepted fact, now, that Presi
dent Mckinley was pushing negotia
tions which, III human probability,
would have assured peace, honorable
of course, but that congress prac
tically took the case out of his hands
that i present day belief.
Comes now, l3 years later, the head
Of the engineers corps. a graduate Of
West Point, who had been in the ser
vice 23 years when the war with Spain
began, and he says, after recent in
spection, that the loss Of the battle
ship Maine was caused by the ex-
plosion Of her magazines, and that
"the effect upon the vessel could not
have been caused BY an explosion
from without" He is quoted as say
ing that there are numerous condi-
tions Of the hulk which prove that
no explosion from outside could have
caused the disaster" To be sure.
this proves nothing The Bixby con-
clusion is Of account simply because
of his official station; his added state
mcnt is that ''the primary cause OF
er will be known; and the ability OF
all expert is not required to make
that finding seem sane.
Our country and Spain will always
remember the Maine It may be that
what goes into history concerning the
catastrophe, is liable always to be
strewn with Interrogation points. We
are not to consider, however, that the
incident itself is decisive as to the
right or the merit OF our war with
Spain But even if the Wrecking OF
the Maine was caused from within
and even if the ships destruction be
construed as the cause OF a war, still
there would be at least variance OF
opinion among American citizens as
to the merit of the course we pur-
sued. One day, little less than
hundred years ago, famous. fear
less sailor whose superb service had
given great distinction to the .Ameri-
can flag, offered to those i'll attend
ance with him at banquet this senti-
ment: "Our country In her inter
course with foreign nations may she
always be in the right; but our coun-
try, right Or wrong Stephen De-
catur was an impulsive sailor He
fought duel, and the wound he re-
ceived proved fatal His tempera-
ment found expression in the quoted
words. They are not in the repub-
lies creed, yet there are citizens in
our country and in other lands who
are ready to declare their allegiance
to the toast he proposed