Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-31
A CONFERENCE TODAY
The President and Mr.. Blaine Consult
About the Chilean Situation.
INSTRUCTIONS TO MR.. EGAN.
What They Are Not Yet Reveaied-His Course
said to Have Been MISUNDERSTANDING
Tracy on the Equipment Of Crulsers-Thc
Question Of Arbitration.


the hostile and defiant feeling Of the Chileans
and while this country has no disposition
to bully weaker nation it is asserted that the
administration is determined that our dignity
shall be maintained and that there shall be
some sort Of reparation made by the iunta for
the affronrs that have been put upon this ooun-
try. Mr.. Blaine had a conference with the
PRESIDENT this morning, and il is believed that
instructions have been sent to Mr.. Egan but
no one knows the nature of the instructions
further than may be inferred from the
knowledge that the State Department resents
the attitude of the junta, which adds insult 20
INJURY VI course they feel that there IL
nothing for us to get excited about, but with
determination and without haste il is proposed
10 bring Chile to her senses by whatever
means Is necessary.
SENIOR hoNrr AND MR.. BLAINE.
Senior Montt had a long interview with Mr..
Blaine yesterday, which he conducted in a
much more conciliatory tone than that as
sumed by the Chilean minister Of foreign af-
fairs, but while the interview was amiable
tnere was no promise in II of q solu-
ton of the dificulty. Senior Montt is
In constant communication with his govern
meht but presents no conciliatory suggestions
from them. 1t is understood that be has urged
upon Mr.. Blaine the propriety of waiting
awhile for the Investigation by the Chilean
1
that there may be come delay OF action by the
State department ON this account One thing,
however, which must be assumed as certain L.
tnat whatever consideration we show Chile in
tnis matter Is because of her weakness and de-
SIRE on the part of the administration not to be
placed IN the attitude OF bullying a weaker
nation. Tho indications are, however,
that tho purposes of the United States
are not appreciated by the junta, which is big
with bravado, and that after a reasonable delay
has been had the sitnafian will hava 1.ao,,
improved any. The government is said to be
satisfied Of the extremely hostile feeling enter
tanned by the Chilean government toward the
United States and consequently il
fance maintained. The course Chile
has adopted cannot fail to lead to serious re-
suits II persisted in. 1t is probable that in a
very few days the Chicago. the Philadelphia,
the Atlanta and the Newark will be ordered to
valparaiso. 1t is regarded ms possible at any
moment that word may be received that there
mas been another assault upon Americans.
MR. EGAN DID RIGHT.
There appears to be no warrant whatever for
the assumption that Mr.. Egan did not present
70 the Chilean government the communica-
ton just as received by him from this gov
eminent In his instructions. He states
In his reply that he did and Il was
probably only the hostile feeling of the
minister OF foreign affairs that made him zee in
sisted at the State Department that Mr. Ecan
has conducted himself in the most fitting man
ner throughout the whole business and has
shown himself fully capable to perform the
duties OF diplomat with credit to this
country. Instead of trying to provoke
discord, as has been accused. il is
asserted that he has been exceedingly for
bearant and has acted with discretion, but that
no matter how opinions may differ as to the
matter of Mr.. Egan, he is not the issue in this
instance in any sense.
In connection with the discussion of the
probability Of war with Chile it may be OF
| some interest to recall what Secretary Tracy
sald a short time since about the difficulty
lying In the way Of sending the larger cruisers
into service, then speaking OF China.
LACK OF EQUIPMENT.
On this subject he said: 1--WE have been un-
| able to send out new ships to the Asiatic
waters on account Of the difficulties which
have attended their proper equipment up to
the present time. On the 4th of March. lssg
we had four new ships, armed with modern guns
but We had no modern brown powder for guns of
larger caliber than six inches, and there was
not single armor piercing projectile in the
country. nor was there any person who could
make them. As soon as this defect was dis
covered measures were taken to remedy
it, Brown powder for our eieht-incl
guns was obtained in December, 1890 and our
first armor-piercing projectiles passed inspec-
ton in June Of the present year, 1891. Even
now for our 6-inch guns, including those which
were delivered by the contractor within the
! past ten days, We have only enough of the lat
ter to equip the Boston and Atlanta or the
Chicago. We endeavored to furnish the
Charleston with fifty of those shells
for her s.inch guns before she left San Fran
cisco for Honolulu, but they could not be had
in time and she was compelled to sail without
them. Orders have been sent however. for
them to be shipped to her by freight
ABOUT THE ToRPEpoEs.
"All of our lates. ships are designed to carry
torpedoes. When, therefore, we have deter
mined upon the torpedo which we are to use
every vessel must be completed at our navy
yards by the insertion Of its torpedo tubes
and launching apparatus. and our officers
and men must be taught on the home
station how to use them In January, 1859,
my predecessor made a contract with the
Hotchkiss Ordnance Company to manufacture
the Howell torpedo, by which contract the
company was bound &c deliver their first
torpedocs in Jolly, 1880. The time for the
completion of this contract has been extended
from time to time to the present date
but no deliveries have yet been made. The
company supposed, early in 1880, that they had
produced successful torpedo. The several
trials which werc had at Newport proving
unsuccessful, however, the department deemed
it unsafe to rely longer upon the Howell
torpedo, and in May, 1880. took steps TO ACQUIRE
the Whitehead torpedo, the most successful
automobile torpedo in use in Europe. The
contract was made with an American firm by
which the first Whitehead torpedo is to be de-
iivered in November Of this year. In the
meantime the Hotchkiss company has been
prosecuting its experiments with the Howell
torpedo, and is now ready for another trial II is
hoped that before the close of the present year
we shall succeed in producing a successful tor
pedo and that we will then be in position to
go on and complete our ships which are at
present, for the reason givens, by no means In @
condition Of normal effectiveness.
WHAT INFERENCE HAS SHOWN.
Experience has shown that it would be un-
wise to take ship from the han DIS Of tho con-
tractor and at once send her to permanent
duty on q distant station. As was to have been
expected, many defects have developed in our
new constructions since they have been
placed 10 commission. Il must be realized
that in the production Of war material, includ-
ing ordnance, equipment electric lighting,
gun protection, &c. (since much OF Il is Of
an entirely novel character in this coun-
try), errors Of judgment and Of de-
sign may occur, and it is therefore
necessary that these devices shall receive
the test of Q certain amount OF experience be-
fore sending them so far from home, where
alterations, substitutions repairs may be-
come q matter Of great expense, and, perhaps
on certain stations, Of impracticability.
''Toequip modern ship with gunsand
modern appliances in manner that they can
be safely relied upon under all circumstances