Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-26
TIE PRESENT DEMAND UPON OUR
SBIP5 OF WAR

There is a remarkably strong call just
now upon our navy, and that it is unequal
TO the response necessary is not even ques-
honed, The result is national humilia-
tion. On the departure of the Chi
lean army from Peru everybody looks
for revolution, riots and disturbances of
the most serious character. The necessity
,or the protection of foreign residents and
property is therefore apparent. So strong
IS the urgency OF the case that the respect
i've nations of the globe have been hasten.
ing their ships of war to the South Ameri.
can coast, to rendezvous at Lima, Now
the entire Pacific squadron of the United
Ststes available in Southern waters con-
sists Of the wooden ships Hartford and
Laokawanna, second rates, with twenty
three guns, combined the Iroquois and
Wachusetts, with fourteen guns, combined !;
She Onward, store ship, with three guns.
The armament is old style, and compares
with modern naval equipment as an old
smooth-bore Continental musket with its
hint.lock compares with the rifled breech-
loader Of this day. The Chilean navy, On
che other hand, embraces three ironclads,
shree oorvettes, two gunboats, two cruisers,
two wooden steamers, one transport, eight
store ships, five relief steamers, twelve
torpedo launches, six of which are 100
feet long, and three are Sc feet in length.
The tonnage of the fighting and store
chips is nearly 10000, and the crews
aggregate 2,065 men at arms, exclusive of
sailing masters and their crews. The
armament Of these ships is of the very
best aud most modern order, and the iron
clads are not surpassed for speed, strength
and resisting power. One of these iron.
elads can shell town or a ship when she
Is hull down in the horizon. Any one of
six ships of this navy could engage and
demolish. without difficulty, the entire
United States Pacific coast squadron.
Now we have sent to Peru to protect
Americans and their property the Hart.
ford and the Lackawanns, and the Iro.
quois snd Wachusetts are under orders to
appear. The storesnip Onward, with three
old smooth-bore cannon, will remain at
Callao to protect the great interests OF our
countrymen there. England has ready to
send to the scene a Pacific coast squadron
which embraces the ironclad Swiftsure,
with eighteen riied guns the cruiser
Rocket, with four heavy guns two steel
sud woo@ corvettes, with twenty. eight
rified guns thee gunboats, with sixteen
heavy guns, and a storeship with four
guRs. The French have in Pacific waters,
and are concentrating on the Peruvian
coast, the casemated corvette Montcalm,
with an iron skin and ten rihed guns the
cruiser Bolaireur, of wood and iron, with
eight riAsd guns; and the cruisers Hugon
and Limier, with seventeen guns. The
Italians have At hand two wooden screw
frigases with twenty guns, and side
wheeler with six guns. Germany has
ready one corvette with fourteen guns, and
Spain one frigate with 20 guns. Part of
the English, German and French force is
liable to be Withdrawn to Asiatic waters If
trouble continues there, as now antici.
pated, while the major portion of the feet
Of Chile VIII be sent upon new duties, and
the foreigners allowed 10 look where best
they may for protection, as Chileans will
command the attention of such force as
may be left behind by Chile. There seems
20 be 10 doubt, says the correspondent of
The New York Herald, that on the evacua-
sion there will set In a revolution that viii |
be OF the most disastrous kind, and that |
she foreigners will be called upon to de- |
lend Themselves with vigor, and will need |
all the help that can be extended to them.
The Americans are likely to be sufferers as
largely as sny others, and probably more
so. This is because we are not in favor
with the Peruvians. They dislike US now
almost to the degree OF hatred-one class
because of our failure to carry out the
7zci6cation scheme to their satisfaction.
ND ANOTHER class because we recognize the