on of the court this effect could have been produced only by
the explosion of a mine situated under the bottom of the ship at about
frame 18 and somewhat on the port side of the ship.

The conclusions of the court are:

That the loss of the _Maine_ was not in any respect due to fault or
negligence on the part of any of the officers or members of her crew;

That the ship was destroyed by the explosion of a submarine mine, which
caused the partial explosion of two or more of her forward magazines;
and

That no evidence has been obtainable fixing the responsibility for the
destruction of the _Maine_ upon any person or persons.

I have directed that the finding of the court of inquiry and the views
of this Government thereon be communicated to the Government of Her
Majesty the Queen Regent, and I do not permit myself to doubt that the
sense of justice of the Spanish nation will dictate a course of action
suggested by honor and the friendly relations of the two Governments.

It will be the duty of the Executive to advise the Congress of the
result, and in the meantime deliberate consideration is invoked.

WILLIAM McKINLEY.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 11, 1898_.

_To the Congress of the United States:_

Obedient to that precept of the Constitution which commands the
President to give from time to time to the Congress information of the
state of the Union and to recommend to their consideration such measures
as he shall judge necessary and expedient, it becomes my duty to now
address your body with regard to the grave crisis that has arisen in the
relations of the United States to Spain by reason of the warfare that
for more than three years has raged in the neighboring island of Cuba.

I do so because of the intimate connection of the Cuban question with
the state of our own Union and the grave relation the course which
it is now incumbent upon the nation to adopt must needs bear to the
traditional policy of our Government if it is to accord with the
precepts laid down by the founders of the Republic and religiously
observed by succeeding Administrations to the present day.

The present revolution is but the successor of other similar
insurrections which have occurred in Cuba against the dominion of Spain,
extending over a period of nearly half a century, each of which during
its progress has subjected the United States to great effort and expense
in enforcing its neutrality laws, caused enormous losses to A