The de Lôme letter deepens the diplomatic crisis

The de Lôme letter was a separate event that accelerated the movement toward war before Maine's loss. A diplomat's candid private assessment of a foreign leader was normal reporting, but the New York Journal's publication made the criticism a public affront to President William McKinley. Enrique Dupuy de Lôme had resigned the previous day, and his replacement Luis Polo de Bernabé did not take up the Washington post until February 14. Maine exploded the following evening, combining diplomatic humiliation, newspaper pressure, and a naval disaster in rapid succession.