Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-23

secrecy was thrown around the divers.
yet, before any of the sworn testimony
became public some of the non official
investigators formed their opinion that
the explosion was due to external causes.
The drawings made by Ensign PoWelson
based on the reports of the divers and
the other work of that brilliant young
officer which formed so prominent a fea-
ture i'm the findings of the court. We're
a sealed book to the nOn-Offlcial lnVeSu-
gators.
During the period of the inquiry. al
though the excitement in Havana was
tense and the nervous strain was great,
there We're few outward demonstrations.
In spite of the eXultation by military
faction that the United States had lost
Ia battleship and by certain classes who
We're consumed with hatred for the
number. probably the majority of the
Spaniards in Cuba, was one of sincere
sorrow. and every unconfirmed rumor that
the United States naval court was find
ing evidence of internal explosion was
eagerly seized upon as an occasion for
showing friendship.
Findings Sent to Congress.
The Sampson board completed the ex-
animation of witnesses March u and left
for Key West. where the testimony was
ed to Washington within week and
transmitted to Congress by President Nc
Kinley in a special message March %.
The court found that the loss of the Maine
was not in any respect due to fault or
negligence on the part of any of the OFF,
GERS or members of the crew and ex-
pressed the opinion that it was destroyed
by the explosion of a submarine mine.
The testimony on which these conclu-
sions were based was published with the
findings, yet for fourteen years consid-
cradle number of so-called naval experts,
not only in foreign countries, but some
of them at home. have reasoned a pr1ori
and maintained the theory that. the Maine
was blown up by an internal explosion.
Abroad the stupid SANDER of the officers
being absent from the ship also received
credence. In my own experience. and l
think this has been the experience Of
others who have discussed the subject
with the partisanS of the internal eXplo-
sion theory, it has been astonishing to OBJ
serve how few of them have taken the
trouble to read the record of the court OF
inquiry and the testimony on which its
findings were based.
The years passed and at last the United
States through the always effective in
strumentality of the Engineering Corps of
the army raised the Maine Questions
which could not be answered positively
when the hull was under water and sink
ing in the mud and points upon which
divers cropping under water could not give
direct evidence could now be determined
with some certainty.
Value of Inquiry Shown.
A thorough inspectio nof the wreck of
the battleship as laid bare by the army
engineers was made by the board o. which
Rear Admiral Vreeland was the head. The
Vreeland board reported that the injuries
to the bottom of the Maine were caused by
the explosion of a charge of low form of
explosives exterior to the ship.
1t would seem proper now to republish
the report of the Sampson court. with the
diagrams. in connection with the report
of the Vreeland board. Then the value of
the Samson investigation in all the diff
cuties that surrounded its work can be
judged more completely.
Certainly the American people will not
want more convincing proof of the capa-
bility of the navy and it's impartiaity in
the midst of distressing and irritating
circumS ances. Nor need the navy ask
further vindication from the implied
charge of negligence and inefiiciency in
the control Of floating ornaments.
Neither the Sampson board nor the Nree-
land board undertook to determine by
what agencies the submarine mine was
placed. or to fix the responsibility on any
person or persons.
Fantastic Stories Told.
For years after the catastrophe fam
tastic stories were afioat and grotesque
accounts of the plot and the parties who
contaminated it were given publicity. In
the weeks Immediately following the ex-
plosion heated and distempered imagina-
tons rather than deliberate purpose were
were in circulation.
;c%o he
real conspirators Till that is done the
testimony Of Gen Fitzhugh Lee before
the committee of the Senate will not be
without weight. Gen. Lee told OF the cir
cumstances which led to his belief that
some of the junior officers who had served
under Weyler might be responsible Some
of these subalterns were as much anti
Blanco as they were anti-American, for
they bitterly opposed the captain general
who had been sent out by Spain to re-
verse Weylers policies. The plot was as
much against the captain general as
against the American navy. Gen. BlancO
was d brave and enlightened soldier That
the disaster filled him with horror nc one
ever doubted. The consequences to him
were blighting.
Curious Parallel.
There is curious parallel between the
so-called naval experts who have held
that the Maine was blown up by an in
ternal explosion and a school of writer's
of contemporary history who have main
tanned that the destruction of the battle
ship caused the war with Spain. and that
the war itself was one that could have
been prevented This school of writer's
have assumed. of course. that the eX-
plosion was internal and due to an acct
dent and have made this assumption the
ground of Censure for the President and
the Congress who officially proclaimed
| hostilities.
| The consideration to be given the
| priori opinions of those who are not in
| fiuenced by actual evidence against their
| own prejudgment is not important. 1t is
worth while, however, to expose the err
ror of their assumptions that the eNecu-
tive and Congress were driven by the
blind resentment of the American people
| into war which they could have avoided
by u firm stand.
Situation Recounted.
| The events which led up to the war are
still fresh enough to he judged and veri-