Arizona silver belt., 1891-01-17
Looks Like Rgsiness

cers over the series of orders emana-
 ting from the Navy Department within
 the past few weeks, directing the com
 missioning of war ships at San Francis
 co and the ordering of various other
 ernisers to Pacific waters. Under the
 present orders no less than eleven war
 ships and five revenue cutters will soon
 be in commission in the Pacific and
 ready for duty. If, in addition, the
 rumored chartering and arming of
 seven steamers for revenue cutter duty
 in Behring Sea proves correct, the
 United States naval force will number
 twenty-three ships against the five
 British gunboats and one armored ves-
 sel at present protecting Great Britain s
 interests ill the North Pacific. It is
 now asserted that the Yantic will be sent from New York to the Pacific.
 This will increase the above force by still another vessel The orders sent ont from the Navy Department during the past few weeks have included the immediate fitting out of the San Fran cisco; the ordering of the corvette Swatara, just returned from the Asiatic station, to join the Pacific squadron; the ordering in commission of the cor yettes Marion and Alert, now at San Francisco; the ordering of the Omaha, flagship of the Asiatic squadron, to pro- ceed at once to San Francisco, the al- legged reason being that she needs re- pairs; the ordering of the Thetis to be fitted out for duty, upun tho alleged assignment of surveying duty.
 Aside from the above orders, it is pointed out that O orders are being issued for the cruisers Charleston or San Francisco to leave the Pacific Coast. Already there are six war ships at San Francisco-the cruisers San Francisco, Charleston, Swatara, Alert, Marion and Thetis. On the Central American Coast the Ranger IS within call At Honolulu and Samoa. ready to proceed to San Francisco as soon as ordered, are the coryettes Mohican and Iroquois. At Sitka, Alaska, is the Pin ta. Scattered along the Pacific Coast and all within reach of the telegraph. are four revenue cutters. The Omaha left China December l2th for San Francisco She is expected to arrive in February. Shoald the Yantlc be ordered to the Pacific, as rumorcd, she should reach San Francisco during the same month. Aside from the Omaha and Yantic, it is calculated that ten war ships are now in position for mobilization inside of forty days Six war ships are ready for immediate work.
 In view of the present Behring Sea controversy, and the rumored charter ing of seven steamers for revenue cut | ter duty, the above disposition is deemed | ominous As the fishing season does not begin earlier than May, the concen- tration of the twelve war ships can be effected before the reyenue cutters are l ready to proceed to the Behring Sea. It Is believed the whole United States force in the Pacific will then concen- trate of Port Townsend.
 A Washington special says that those persons who are interested in the Beh- ring Sea controversy have read with some concern these dispatches from Europe which intimate that the British fleet is to be compIemented in the | Northern Pacific by the fleet of the German Empire. The dispatch says that this does not appear improbable to any one who has been aware of the per sistency with which Great Britain and Germany have operated in the Pacific.
 Limitations are heard here that the Navy Department is proceeding in way to indicate determination to meet this display of English and German force by an increase of the United States fleet on the west coast and by I an immediate concentration of available vessels at San Francisco. Exactly what the fleet will be expected to accomplish at this time is not asserted, and, so far from verifying the report. the naval appear to be in absolute ignorance con cerniug the whole business.
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