164 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XVI 



which are common in sundry West Indian and equa 

 torial republics. I felt that the great thing was to gain 

 time before doing anything which might result in the 

 admission of the millions trained under such influences 

 into all the rights, privileges, and powers of American 

 citizenship. 



But there came the destruction of the Maine in the har 

 bor of Havana, and thenceforward war was certain. The 

 news was brought to me at a gala representation of the 

 opera at Berlin, when, on invitation from the Emperor, 

 the ambassadors were occupying a large box opposite his 

 own. Hardly had the telegram announcing the catastro 

 phe been placed in my hands when the Emperor entered, 

 and on his addressing me I informed him of it. He was 

 evidently shocked, and expressed a regret which, I fully 

 believe, was deeply sincere. He instantly asked, with a 

 piercing look, &quot;Was the explosion from the outside ?&quot; 

 My answer was that I hoped and believed that it was not ; 

 that it was probably an interior explosion. To my great 

 regret, the official report afterward obliged me to change 

 my mind on the subject; but I still feel that no Spanish 

 officer or true Spaniard was concerned in the matter. It 

 has been my good fortune to know many Spanish officers, 

 and it is impossible for me to conceive one of their kind 

 as having taken part in so frightful a piece of treachery; 

 it has always seemed to be more likely that it was done 

 by a party of wild local fanatics, the refuse of a West 

 Indian seaport. 



The Emperor remained firm in his first impression that 

 the explosion was caused from the outside. Even before 

 this was established by the official investigation, he had 

 settled into that conclusion. On one occasion, when a 

 large number of leading officers of the North Sea Squad 

 ron were dining with him, he asked their opinion on this 

 subject, and although the great majority indeed, al 

 most all present then believed that the catastrophe had 

 resulted from an interior explosion, he adhered to his 

 belief that it was from an exterior attack. 



