Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-31
CHILLI WILL FIGHT,
Ard Chill Won't Fight, Is What
''the Wiseacres Say"
UNITED STATES WAITING FOR NEWS

A Matter of Days Only When Some De CT
sive Action Will Be Taken-The Bitter
Feeling in Santiago Increasing and
Americans There Looking for Trouble
"A Suggestion of Gillian Cruiser
Pounding Away at San Francisco
Senator Cullom Says the Chilians Mu st
Eat Humble Pie or Take Some Bad
Medicine.
WASHINGTON, Oct. s1.-The Chilis n
trouble was the man topic of discussion
about the state and navy departments
yesterday, and the opinion almost genei'-
ally expressed there was that demon
stration of force will be made at once. x
rumor that .ssined considerable credence
was to the effect that instructions have
been sent to all available vessels to hole
themselves in readiness for sailing orders.
Naval authorities assert that our naval
force is strong enough to impress Chiliwith
n sense of the danger that lies in the main
tenance of her defiant attitude, this coun-
try having the disadvantage, however,
of not possessing convenient coaling sta
tions.
Mont Hears from His Government.
Don Pedro Montt, the CHILEAN minister,
received telegram during the day from
Santiago to the effect that an inquiry was
instituted Immediately after the riot, and
Is being continued with all diligence; that
eleven Chilians and thirty Americans
were arrested on the day of the riot, aid
that the emeute was Quelled by the regular
soldiers, special guard, and police. The
men fought with knives, stones, and
every weapon they could get hold of. The
tone of the reply printed in these dis
patches yesterday is tersely summed up
by a member of the cabinet to this effect:
at simply means that we may go TO the
devil" Whether the assurance contaire ed
in the dispaIche to Montt, summarized
above. will lessen the tension is something
that cannot be found out from the govern
ment officials here.
Views of Culiom and Edmunds-
Very few persons of prominence who
were asked for their opinion about the pres
emit aspect of affairs would allow their
names to be used. Senator Edmunds and
Senator Cullom were among the excep-
tions- The former had an interview with
Secretary Tracy yesterday morning. He
told a reporter that he was sure this gov
eminent would be firm and just, and
would do the right thing in the right
way. He said he hoped the Chilians
would be reasonable enough and sensible
enough to act properly. Senator Cullom
said that the situation looked ugly and be
thought the United States would be
obliged to teach Chilli lesson. If the
Chilians did not change their tactics at
once the only thing for this country to do
was to send our warships down there
sand give them the mischief"
The CHILEAN Will show Fight.
Nearly all the naval officers who have
served in Gillian waters believe that
Chilli would rather engage in hostilities
with the United States than offer the
semblance of an apology. 1t is the Chill
ian nature, they say, to have things their
own way or fight, and these officers de-
clare their belief that unless the United
States blacks down actual hostilities can
not be avoided. A diplomatist here said
that he could not see how actual HOSTILE
ties could be avoided, and in this event no
great naval engagement in CHILEAN waters
need be looked for. The Chilians, he
said, sought loud-sounding glory and
they would send one or two of their best
ships to the Pacific coast. The Chili..n
rogance could be laid in the dust infinite
damage would be done to American
coast cities.
VIII Wait . Reasonable Time"
As nearly as could be ascertained last
night this government proposes to wait a
@reason able time" for Chill to conclude
the inquiry which is now said to be un-
der way. This reasonable time" will not
be question Of months, but of days. IL
no report Is soon received from the
CHILEAN government and there is reason
to believe that it is Intentionally delayed.
this government will again make re-
quest for an explanation, and if no reply
is forthcoming steps may be taken toward
q suspension of amicable relations. It is
expec, ed, however, that the report will be
promptly made. Its purport is already
anticipated. No one in government cir
cles in Washington expects that the Chill
ians in their present frame OF mind will
acknowledge that they are in the wrong
No Naval Orders Yet Issued.
Any amount of testimony will proba-
bly, be presented to show that the sailors
were murdered in q street row, in which
both the Chilians and the Americans were
equally to blame. Tie telegram made
public by Senior Montt, the Gillian repre-
sentative, yesterday indicates that this
will tie the line of the Cniiian defense
Commodore Ramsay, in charge of the
navigation bureau, without whose
knowledge not a naval ship moves, said
that so far as he knew there had not been
a single order issued bearing on the Chill
ian situation during the past week.
THE FEELING AT SANTIAGO.