The record-union., 1891-06-26
THE CHILE WAR.
No Recent Naval or Military Battles of
Importance.

No Recent Naval or Military Battles of
Importance.
WASHINGTON, June 25.-The Navy De-
partment has received a report from Ad-
miral McCann, on board the flagship
Baltimore, dated Iquique, Chile, May
25th, saying that there had been no mill
tary or naval operations of Importance in
the north provinces recently.
1.-The English Admiral Hotham in
formed me that that all the revolutionary
squadron had gone north from Caldera,
and only 700 or 800 men were left to gar
risOn Caldera and Copiago. Since the loss
OF the Blanco Encaiada most of the insur-
gent forces are concentrating about the
nitrate ports. The only efficient vessels
remaining to the insurgents are the HUI
ascar, Esmeralda and Almirante Coch-
rane. The remainder are made'up of a
few old gunboats and armed transports,
the broken down and worn out remains
of the Chilean navy.
There is, therefore, little or no prob
ability of a demonstration by water
against! Valparaiso or other southern
ports by the revolutionary fleet, but on
the contrary, the Government torpedo
cruisers Almirante Lynch and Alni-
rante Condel, and the armed transport
Imperial, keep the insurgent vessels in
motion and the nitrate ports in con-
slant state of alarm by threatening at
tacks.
'On the 18th one of the revolutionists'
torpedo launches was accidentally blown
up by Its own torpedo, and sank i'm
medlately, drowning two and mortalIy
wounding four of her crew of eight men,
The Condel attacked Tantal on the 21st,
burning the Government buildings and
Custom-hOuse. On the 25th the Coch-
rane, Magelles and Amazonas left
Iquique, and stood southwark to pro-
tect that locality. The speed of the Con-
easily elude pursuit, and may turn up
most unexpectedly at any point"
THE ROBERT AND MINNIE'S ARMS.
NEW YORK, June 25.-George A, Burt,
who was indicted at San Francisco for
shipping arms in the Robert and Minnie.
is in this city. He says. 81 am here on
my way to Europe in behalf of certain
bolivian interests, when | was stopped
by messenger from my friends in Chile,
who asked that send them cargo of
guns. | for the love l felt their cause, and
for the personal friendship felt for those
who sent me the telegram, stayed here. I
took certain quantity of arms from
New York to San Francisco, and shipped
them to certain parties in Chile on the
Robert and Minnie. | made no secret of
the shipment, excepting l tried to keep
maceda in this country for fear that one
of his ships would overhaul the Itata and
steal the arms, as had been threatened.
Il believe [ have violated no principle
of international law in what have done,
During my superintendency of the Pan
anna Railroad l was constantly called
upon to pass on the question of the right
of transshipment of arms. made am
especial study OF the question then, and
never have L knowingly violated any
neutrality laws. The count on which T
am indicted is the arming and euuipping
of the Itata. / did not arm or equip the
ltata. | say these arm were for the use of
Chilean revolutionists, and in my own
mind believe they were, but / shipped
them to responsible persons in Chile, and
was told nothing about their ultimate
use. OF one thing L am certain, did not
arm nor equip any vessel in port of the
United States to prey upon commerce or
carry on war against friendly power.
The man who was put on board the
ltata as Deputy Marshal Of the United
States was private detective, who went
down from an agency in San Francisco.
Ihls detective agency was employed by
representatives of Balmaceda in this
country. While the Itata was coaling a
dispatch came directing that she be held.
The United States Marshal then
wrote, on letterhead of a hotel
where he was staying, an order
for the private detective mentioned
before to seize the Itata. The detective
went on board, but never took formal
possession of the ship. Furthermore, the
instructions of the United States Marshal
were to detain the vessel, and not to seize
her. If the Itata had violated any law
of the United States, it is in sailing with
out her clearance papers. For this she is
liable TO a fine of $500.
"a great deal has been said regarding
the people who furnished the money to
buy the arms which were shipped by the
Robert and Minnie probably know as
much about that as anybody, and assure
you that the credits were established in
Europe. No New York firm had any
hand In the matter"