Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-30
Uncle Sam Disposed to Be
Lenient With Chile.
No Extraordinary Haste in
Warlike Preparations.
Work Now Under Way Said to Have
No Reference to War.
The New Chilean Cruiser Captain Pratt
Will Be Formidable Adversary.
Minister Egan Subjected
to Stumbling.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches.
WAsHINGToN, Dec. 29.-There is no
news obtainable at the state or navy de-
partments respecting the Chilean mat
ter. No movements of ships are re-
ported and officials also say there is no
change in the situation.
Secretary Blaine was at the cabinet
meeting, which lasted until nearly 2
O'Clock. He had no news to give out
respecting the Chilean situation, and
said there was none.
NO NEW INCIDENT.
This afternoon was absolutely without
an incident that could be distorted into
the relation of warlike preparations.
Such unofficial advices as have been re-
ceived are to the effect that the legal
authorities at Valparaiso have not COM
pleted the revision of the formal pro-
ceedings Of Justice Foster. Just how
long those legal formalities may be pro-
tracted before they may be regarded
as causing "further needless de-
lay" is, of course, determinable
only by President Harrison, but there
is reason to believe there has been
brought to his attention the difficulties
that surrounded President Montt in the
formation OF a new cabinet, and he is
also desirous of avoiding the appearance
of endeavoring to interfere with due
process OF law in Chile if there is any
reasonable ground for the assumption
the due process Is being followed.
PATIENT WAITING.
These considerations doubtless led
him to pursue course of patient wait
ing to the utmost extreme consistent
with due regard to the dignity of the
United States, and so far as can be
learned it is probable no departure will
be made from this attitude before the
reassembling of congress unless further
communication from the Chilean gov
ernment should give different aspect
to the situation.
NO EXTRAORDINARY HASTE.
II tsie heads II the Dufeaus i1 the
navy department are to be believed, no
extraordinary efforts are making to put
vessels in condition for active hostiities.
In the construction bureau the officers
say positively no orders have gone for
ward to San Francisco to hurry up the
work on the Monterey. AS matter of
fact, fewer orders are passing through
the bureau at present than during the
past three months.
THE MONTEREY's GUNS.
In the ordnance bureau, it was learned
that the turret armor for the Monterey
is ready for shipment to San Francisco
at any time. Her great guns are also
ready, and the Pennsylvania railway has
undertaken to transport them across the
continent. The task is one of magnitude,
as the 12-inch rifle, without it's carriage,
weighs 81 tons, and the carriage weighs
25 tons. Specially constructed cars are
necessary for the transportation of these
great masses of metal, and much nice
calculation respecting curves, tunnels
and the strength OF many bridges
between Washington and the California
navy yards must be made to ensure the
safe delivery OF the guns. These guns
are not only intrinsically valuable, but
their loss at the present time would be a
serious calamity, as many months would
be consumed in making guns to replace
them.
ARMoR AND TORPEDO MAKING.
Satisfactory progress is being made in
Lut prUuuCtlOA VI dinOI duo tOI IpcuOs,
but it is insisted by the ordnance off,
GERS that neither armor plates nor tor
pedoes have been or will be accepted
until they have been thoroughly tested.
A lot of Howell torpedoes, about forty,
are practically ready for use, and the
first instaliment of the Whitehead Eng
lish pattern torpedoes made in the
United States will soon be delivered.
Improvements have been made in the
Howell torpedo, which is essentially an
American invention, which will place it
in the front rank OF automobile weapons,
and it is promised that the torpedos de-
livered to the government will exceed
the contract requirements in speed and
accuracy.
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO WAR.
But according to the statement of the
naval ordnance officers, all these things
are being done without reference to i'm
mediate war, and it is said they are SIM
PLY the satisfactory results of the ener-
.getic policy of the naval rehabilitation
adopted by Secretary Tracy long ago.
In the war department. matters are
very quiet, and even the Mexican 'front.'
ier disturbance has failed to furnish a
new item of news.