The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-29
IN TIMES OF PEACE.
Preparing for Trouble With
Chile.
Sensational Stories From Various Sources
Concerning the Chances for War.
CGiCial Denial Of Hostile Intentions The
Situation in Chile The San Fran
cisco al San Diego.
special TO THE MoRx1Ne CALL

Within one hour lie saw Senator Allison,
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ap-
propriations; Senator Cameron, Chairman
Of the Committee on Naval Affairs; Senator
Butler, member Of the same committee; :;
Senators Frye and Hale, Chief Constructor
Wilson, Chief Engineer Melville; Captain
Phillips, who is to command the new cruiser
New York; Lieutenant Mason, Executive
Officer of the same vessel; Commodore
Folger. Chief of Ordnance; Commander
Chadwick, and, lastly. Charles Cramp, the
ship builder. Notwithstanding this sign of
official activity and the reports printed of
unusual work at the navy-yard. officials of
the Navy Department deny that there is the
least speck of a war cloud in the diplomatic
horizon.
NAVAL OFFICIALS OPINIONS.
Assistant Secretary Soley says he has
already expressed his views rs to the navy
yard work. When asked where the San
Francisco is bound he declined to give a
definite ansWe eT. but when lie was reminded
that the last time she went out for gun
practice" as reported by the department,
she was next heard of at Valparaiso, he said
the vessel had no orders for Chile naval
officer who should know, when asked if the
cruiser San Francisco was bound for Aca-
pulco, replied that she would not go as far
south as Mexico He also stated the Balti-
more is now probably north Of Panama on
her way to San Francisco. Commodore
FolGer. Chief of the Ordnance Bureau.
added to the general denial by saying there
-, IL.
factory.
Cramp, the Philadelphia ship builder, also
insisted that his force was not working
faster or longer than usual. He said he had
received no instructions from the depart
ment to hurry work on the naval vessels now
building a; his yards. Commodore Wilson,
Chief Of Instructors, had gone over to Phila-
delphia to inspect the progress Of naval
work, and Saturday had not found a single
man of the 1900 employees at work More
over, Cranp did not believe half his force
was at work to-day, as they are keeping the
holiday season.
NO wARLIKE EXCITEMENT
At the Department OF State matters
moved along in the usual serene fashi ~.
There IS not trace Of warlike excitement
Officials say nothing has been heard from
Minister Ezan since the 2Si inst. Why he
did not attend President Months inaugura-
ton Saturday they did MT know, and
doubted the correctness Of tie report tU that
effect.
At the War Department neither Acting
Secretary Grant nor Major General Scho-
field, who would certainly be in position to
know, had any information Of the intention
to appoint General Miles to command the
army in the event Of war with Chile; in
fact, the only sign Of warlike preparation
visible at the executive departments con-
EJstpf in the orGar iSsnpl at iat- for ba
immediate preparation of the new Pinch
guns just completed at the navy-yard here,
for transportation to California, together
with 40 pounds Of powder and II, 900 six
inch shells.
MoNTT CALLS ON BLAINE.
Senior Mont, the Chilean Minister, called
at the Department of state at noon. He
had an interview with Secretary Blaine for
half an hour. 1t was impossible to get
more than hint of what passed .atween
the Secretary and the Minister during the
Interview, but that is probably sufficient to
warrant the suppOsitiOn tnat matters are
now proceeding in manner as satisfactory
to the Government of the United States as
Is desired. Notwithstanding the fact that
Secretary Blaine is now dealing almost eu-
tirely directly with tie Chilean Minister,
instead Of with his Government through
the Intervention of Minister Egan, it does
not appear that the result has been a saving
of time, and there Is reason to suspect the
Sec Tetary is chadng at the delay he en-
counters in securing a final response to the
representations made by this Government
concerning the attack upon the Baltimore's
men.
CONSULTING CoNGREssMEN.
During the afternoon Representatives
Lodge and Boutelle called at the Navy De-
partment. They are both Republican mem
bcrs Of the House Committee on Naval AT
fairs, the Chairman of which, Representa-
tive Herbert, is absent from the city. Un-
less the House of Representatives recuTs TO
the old Randall rules, the Naval Committee
Will retain in its charge all matters relat-
ing to appropriations for the naval service,
while in the Senate the concurrent action
of the Com mittee on Appropriations and
the Committee on Naval Affairs is usually
necessary to secure provision for any navy
expenditure. Secretary Tracy has been in
communication with the members of each
Of those committees during the day. but
with what purpose 1t is not definitely
known.
PREPARING FOR WAR.
An officer Of the department, speaking of
the consultations, said: 1T means Just
this; that we are abiding by George Wash
ington's maxim, in time OF peace prepare
for war We do not believe there will be
war, but if the Administration failed to ex-
ercise all of its powers in the matter of
prepar: ton 1t would be open to severe crit-
cism IL hoslities actually ensue." News
reached the Navy Department this after
noon that the cruiser San Francisco had
arrived at San Diego, Cal, and was at an
chor in the harbor. 1t was rumored that
she would await the Charleston. at that
place and transfer to the latter vessel GER
tain munitions OF war which she carried
from San Francisco.
HosTILITIEs EXPECTED.
The Evening Star says: The Govern
Dent officials are still trying to allay all
apprehension OF war with Chile, but
preparations are being made for war, and it
is undoubtedly believed by those fully ac-
qualnted with the situation that there Will
be demonstration of hostiities in a short
tine. Tie unexpected is, of course, always
liable TO happen. 1t may be safely asserted
that nothing could happen more unex-
pectedly TO the Government officials just
now than peaceful settlement of this
trouble The conviction that this is so does
not arise from the fact that active prepara-
tons are being made to meet any conting-
ency. Such preparations would have to be
made. as matter of precaution, even IL the
Government were ever so sanguine of
settlement without appeal to arms. 1t is not
possible to judge of what q Cabinet officer
thinks Of tue situation by reading his public
declarations. Those amount to nothing
under such circumstances but there are
means of knowing what his private judg-
ment Is, and by those means IL is learned
that in the highest official circles the most
tion.
THE DIPLOMATIC DINNER.
The dinner that was given Sa urday
night by the Chilean Minister in honor
of the Inauguration of his President
and namesake in Chile is not thought
to be at all significant, even though
Secretary Blaine attended as a guest OF
honor. 1t was perfectly natural that any
foreign Minister giving such a dinner
should invite the Secretary of State an
until there had been au actual breach Of
the peace between the two countries it
would be almost incumbent upon the 3ecre-
tary to accept. The placid and compliment
tary tone of the speeches that were ma le at
the table is not now regarded as h wing
any important bearing on the case.
THE ATTITUDE OF CHILE.
The reports from Valparaiso that Minis
ter Egan was Conspicuous at the Inaugural