Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-30
Causing Americans Concern.
One Mans Power
MAY DRAG THE NATION TO WAR.
ChiIians Hot Toward Us-Patrick May Do or
Say Something to Make Them Hotter.
An Engl;shman Who Tries to Talk on \
Subject He Knows Nothing About
When He Strikes Our Silver
Policy-PiQua Tin Fraud.
Not Pleasant to Contemplate.

Special to the Gazette
WASHINGTON. Sept 29-News of some
Importance was evidently received at the
White House this morning, as Private Sec
retary Halford made a hurried trip to the
state, war and navy department buildings
before the hour for the cabinet meeting. I
duty which is always intrusted to an ordi-
nary messenger, unless there is something
unusual which requires exceeding secrecy.
On all hands it is denied in administration
circles that matters in Chill have reached 4
pass where it will be necessary for our gov
eminent 10 take aggressive action. AT the
same time there is evident Il certain dispo-
sition to magnify the situation enough TO
justify national demonstration and i'm
press outsiders with the idea that we have
frightened the Gillian government into
compliance with our diplomatic demands.
1t is the ltata case over agan-a game of
lingo on somewhat bigger scale.
There is not much doubt that Minister
Egan has given serious offense to the presi-
dent oy uniting the functions of 4 news
paper correspondent with those of United
States diplomatic representative, and that
when he gets out of his present dilemma he
Will be called sharply to account for his
acts. Indeed, there is a deeply settled i'm
preston in the minds of the people here
who know Egan that he has voluntarily in
Vited trouble for the sake of exciting the
administration TO retain him in his place.
Meanwhile, although the high officers of
our government are talking with apparent
unconcern about the Gillian imbroglio.
they are taking all precautions necessary to
prevent a surprise.
Secretary Tracy, who, in the absence of
Secretary Blaine, has been of late acting
secretary of state without the title, is
gathering all the scattered threads in his
hands. He has convinced himself that our
government is i'll position to sustain Egan
if desirable by acts as well as morally. We
have now either in the Pacific waters, or
soon to be there, six effective war vessels,
the San Francisco at Callao, the Baltimore
at Valparaiso. the Mohican on her way
from Alaskan waters to San Francisco, the
1roquoiS at Samoa and the Yorktown at
New York but under sailing orders and
under ordinary circumstances safe to reach
Santiago i'll six to seven weeks.
Z The North Atlantic and white squadrons
have been ordered to hold themselves in
readiness to sail for the Pacific at mo-
ment's notice. Message has been sent to
the Baltimore to repair to Santiago as
quickly as possible and put herself under
orders of the minister, or rather at his SER
vice. If ne considers the situation grave
enough to warrant it, a force of marines
are to be landed and placed as guards
around the legation. Egan has been in
structed to request in firm but respect
full manner the observationof all rules of
international comfy and etiquette in the
treatment of Americans in Chilli and the
release of those who have been arrested.
If this polite advance is ignored, then he is
to put the same thing in the form of per-
emptory demand, and if that is met with
contempt it will be considered casus belh.