The record-union., 1891-10-31
Special 10 the RECoRp-UN1oN.

pViI VIC OlSputS Will CIlle Cdn OILY De
settled by display of force by this Gov
ernment.
The talk about available vessels and the
possibility of assembling sufficient fleet
before Valparaiso to compel Chilean re-
spect is animated among naval men, and
the officers are beginning to think of
active duty.
Admiral Gherardi unof1icially suggested
to the Navy Department that he should
be ordered to sail for Valparaiso at once,
with the Philadelphia and Concord. It
seems probable his suggestion will be
acted upon, though no orders have yet
been issued.
The presence of United States fleet
would probably bring to Valparaiso a
large fleet of vessels of the British navy.
British interests in Chile are large, and it
is assumed any demonstration by the
United States would be watched with con-
Germ by the British fleet, and if deter
minatiOn to shell the city is reached by
this Government, the lives and property
OF the subjects of Great Britain have to
be considered. The suggestion of British
intervention IS not likely, however. to
deter the United States from following a
course that will compel respect for our
nag and an expression of regret for the
taking Of the lives of men wearing the
uniform of the United States.
WILD AND ABSURD STORIES.
WASHINGTON, Oct 30.-At the NAVY
Department to-day there are no signs of
disturbance over the Chilean affair. The
San Francisco, which was at Callao,
Peru, is believed to have sailed yesterday
Tor California. She will touch at some
port on the way where she can be reached
by cable, if there be need.
AT the Cabinet meeting this afternoon.
the time was devoted to the discussion of
the Chilean situation. 1t is surmised
that Secretary Blaine submitted for con-
sideration the outline of the reply to be
made to Minister Egan's communication,
that It's details We're perfected, and that in
due time it will be made public.
There nave been no further dispatches
from Minister Egan or Commodore
Schley.
During the afternoon all kinds of SEN
sahonal and in many cases manifestIy
absurd stories were telegraphed to WASH
mgton from other cities in this country
and Europe for confirmation or contra
dlction. In the latter category was the
startling announcement cabled to Europe
by sensat!on-mongering news-agency
that the Presidents Cabinet had decided
to declare war on Chile; that all our navy
yards had been ordered to prepare yes
sells to leave Immediately When this
story was brought to the attention of Off
cials OF the State Department they Were
amused rather than indignant at the in
VenUve fecundity shown by the news
agency, which has been for some time
debarred from access to news given out
by the department itself
One of the Assistant Secretaries, after
characterizing the story as absurd, re-
marked that the author had overlooked
the fact that under the terms of Section s
OF the Constitution the Congress of the
United States alone has power to declare
war, and that the President and his Cabi-
net had no share of this power So, too,
the story that Minister Egan had been
recalled was promptly declared an in
vention without foundation in fact
The Navy Department officials evil
IDENTIFY have no expectation of an imme-
diate outbreak of war. Altogether there
was an air Of serenity and every day
hunldrum about the State and Navy De-
partments, which, no less than the de-
mails, afforded an emphatic contradiction
OF any and all sensational reports of war
like disturbances.
The ECeni0g Star has this: ''It would
be wholesome thing for the political
health of the entire South American Con-
tinent," said a prominent naval officer,
IF this country should turn in and give
Chile good, sound thrashing. They
have most insane notion down there.
and really think they could defeat the
United States without trouble. There are
about 100000 of them in the whole coun-
try, and they have not the slightest con-
ception of the magnitude of this nation
and It's tremendous resources. They are
lighters from the word go. They have
Just been through a severe civil war, and
their blood is up. The masses are prob
ably eager for a brush with the United
States, and ! should not be surprised to
see beIllgerent demonstrations before
long, and / should welcome such a thing.
not for the sake of activity in the navy,
but for the good and wholesome effect it
would have on the world at large. Then,
too, it would firmly establish once for ali
our supremacy on this hemisphere. The
Chileans, in my opinion, are the finest
lot of people in South America"
Another officer said: THE Chilean hates
an American worse than poison. He dis
trusts him, and takes every opportunity
to get a whack at him. | do not know
why, unless because we have sent down
so many poor specimens of our race to
trade, and thus deprecated our own stock
through our representatives. / should
like TO see an affair with Chile, not only
for professional reasons, but also because
l think the time has come for this coun-
try to administer lesson to some one.
IC Cly SOCS up III L Del16NG,
that the United States is very brave in
bullyragging small countries. That is all
nonsense. The big countries do not dare
give US chance to bullyrag them; and
when it comes right down to the matter.
there never has been such blackguard
bully among little powers as England
herself, and the whole world knows it.''
Still another naval officer said: "We
have before us demonstration of the
wisdom of Washington time of
peace prepare for war; Some of those
who are now urging vigorous and war
like demonstrations are men whose care
it should have been to prepare us for an
emergency. The Navy Department has
been trying to impress upon Congress
the Importance of providing coaling sta
tions in both the Atlantic and Pacific, but
nothing has been done, and we are now
without means of coaling our vessels in
those waters. The only thing TO do would
be to capture port and establish
coaling station.'
SHOULD there be hostilities," said a
member of the Diplomatic Corps, ''you
need not look for any great naval engage
ment in Chilean waters. Your enemy
seeks loud-sounding glory, and he would
send one or two of his best ships to the
Pacific coast. No one would know
whittier they had gone until they ap-
peared in San Diego or San Francisco
harhor. and then there would be trouble.