| Show SPANISH investigation blow progress being made by divera havana march 7 notwithstanding tho the permission given by the united states government for spanish derwa derors to examine the wreck the investigation by the spanish authorities of tho the condition of the ship as it lies in tho the water proceeds slowly they seemed to bo be in no hurry burry to learn the facts about tho the hull magazines and other matters which were first to engage the attention ot of the naval board tho the government has however taken considerable testimony of persons who were in ill the harbor on tho the night of tho explosion it gives much weight weigh t to the testimony of those who say they saw flames issuing from tile the maino before the ship w was wrecked by an all explosion tile the understanding in iravan davau is that the naval board will be emphatic in exonerating captain and the officers of the maine from implication of ne negligence ii crice lack of discipline or responsibility for tile the disaster it has been almost forgotten that until the board reports on tho the subject Capt captain aill sigsbee is nominally under a cloud clond that is is the inquiry must determine whether or not tho the commander of the maine i was as in any way responsible for her loss the secrecy v w ith which tho the investigation has been conducted has as not prevented the testimony on the subject from becoming known the board v will ill be able to RO go further and show that there was not only an accident which could have been prevented but also no basis for the theories of accident froman from an unknown cause how far it will go in tile the assertion of positive proof that the maine blaine was blown up is for the present a speculation the prevalent impression is that the board has evi evidence derico of the deed without the means of finding out who committed it it is is incumbent on the spanish government to find that out tho the denial credited to senor du bose in washington that mines existed in havana harbor does not receive tho the weight that would bo be given an official declaration from Capt captain general blanco or premier sagasta on the samo same subject in official circles hero it is the evident purpose to combat tho the finding of the naval board but not aggressively aggressive the spanish attitude seems to be that on an accident was probable and that the united states is not justified in making a demand for reparation when the proof of foul play is not positive the assumption will be that the two governments after taxing evidence will ill be unable to agree in their conclusions however thee has been nothing in the nature of a joint investigation |
