Evening journal., 1891-10-26
WASHINGTON WAR TALK
Great Interest in the Recent
chilian Complications.
THEY MAY IEJURE RECIPROCITY.

Utilities, Admits That Uncle Sam Gould
Blow Chill Out Of the Water, but
Thinks BIaine's schene Would suffer.
WAsHINGToN, Oct. 26-Not since the
threatened complications with Italy last
spring has 50 much war talk been heard in
naval and administration circles as over
the brutal assault on our sailors at Val
paraiso. That the administration Is in
earnest is evinoed by the peremptory in
structions cabled TO Minister Egan He
will doubtless lay his instructions before
the iunta today Then the administration
will wait reasonable time to learn the
result Of the iunta's investigation.
The administration is not disposed to
act arbitrarily ia demanding a speedy
reply from Chill. President Harrison APP
preoiates the embarrassments attending
such inquiries; but, on the other hand. he
is determined that there shall be no un-
necessary delay,and great satisfaction was
expressed here today at the intelligence
that the investigation had already begun.
II Judge Foster, who has it in charge,
pushes it rapidly, a good deal Of the pres
ent irritation in administration circles
will be removed Minister Egan win keep
the state department fully informed, and
the presidents future action viii be large
ly influenced by his reports.
Force to Combat Force.
Naval officers express the opinion that
the presence of a strong feet of war ves-
sells at Valparaiso would materially expe-
dite settlement of the affair The brutal
spirit which the Chilians generally display
toward the United States and the repre-
sentatives Of the United States is one that
can be subdued only by fear Fortunately
congress will assembly in six weeks. By
that date we shall have four cruisers at
| Valparaiso. II in the meantime Chilli has
failed to satisfy our demands President
| Harrison will probably lay the matter be-
fore congress, and, like President Blu
ohanan on a similar noteworthy occasion,
he will no doubt request that "the execu-
tive shall have authority to use other than
peaceable means in the event that Chilli
still declines to make proper reparation.
The Miantonomah IL Terror.
Chill must then either come TO terms or
our fleet will be ordered 70 shell the city
OF Valparaiso IL is quite probable, il so
extreme a course rs this were Aecessary.
that the monitor Miantonomah would be
quickly dispatched TO the scene of trouble
until the battleships were completed. The
. Miantonomah viii stand alone as the most
4 formidable hghing ship we have in our
navy
Yesterday Captain Montgomery Sicard
was formally assigned TO command her.
and IL is expected az the navy department.
that she will 30 into commission next
week. The United States will then have
its first iron clad ship. Her first service
will be Of an experimental nature. She
will be sent to Gardner's bay to test her
great guns and far enough to sea 10 test
her sesworthiness
chill Could Not Destroy Her.
Although built for home protection.
naval officers generally consider her avail
able for offensive purposes and in view Of
the serious turn the Chilian affair has
taken, look upon her completion as quite
timely With this formidable fighting
ship IN the harbor Of Valparaiso the United
States would be in a better position to
press its demand for justice than with all
the cruisers we possess. All the Chilian
vessels combined could not DESTROY her.
while she could lie of az a distance Of five
miles OF more and practically destroy the
town with her four l0-inch guns The
emergency would be a great one that
would induce Secretary Tracy to send this
vessel out OF home waters, for he looks
upon the Monitor as purely a coast defense
vessel and unsuitable for fighting at sea.
What We Could Do.
With proper enteE2rise there would be
nothing TO prevent the concentration of a
fleet Of at least dozen modern cruisers
and gunbOats in the South Pacific The
Philadelphia, Kearsarge and Concord.
comprising Rear Admiral Gherardps
squadron; the Chicago, Atlanta aud Ben
nington, Of Admiral Walkers squadron:
the Newark, fitting out az Boston for the
South Atlantic, aud the Petrel at New
| York, could all, If the emergency demand
ed, be sent from the home station to Val
paraiso within ninety days These, with
the Baltimore already at Valparaiso, the
| Aan Francisco az Callao, thu Boston and
Yorktown en- route to Valparaiso. the
Yantic en- route to Montevideo and the
Ihetis, Ranger, Mohican aud San Francis
co, would give a feet Of sixteen servicea-
bic ships.
All Of the number are modern except
the last four and the majority Of them are
superior 20 the best ships in the Gillian
navy, with the exception Of the Esmeralda,
which compares favOrably with the Balti-
more.
where Chill Is Strong.
In one respect, however the Gillian
I X.
this is in torpedoes and torpedo boats.
/ Besides the Almirante Condel and Almi-
| rante Lynch, the two steel torpedo gun
boats Of $50 tons each, Chill has eleven first
class torpedo boats similar TO our little
| Cushing. Il is there our cruisers would
have the greatest cause to fear, for, being
without nets, they have no protection
| against those deadly weapons except rapid
fire guns Ia addition to the torpedo ves-
sells the Chilian navy comprises three ar
! mored aud seven unarmored vessels.
It Would Knock Out Reciprocity.
Julio Foster, prominent Gillian, saws.
'Ihe talk abont war being declared
against Chill if she does not make an
apology and give a money indemnity for
the lives lost is, think, premature. There
Is no doubt that the United States could
come around the Horn and eat us up, but
in doing SO she would find the whole Of
South America, with the exception Of
Brazil, arrayed against her. What, then,
would become oi7that great scheme Of rec
iprocity that seems TO be the pet idea Of
this government But the idea Of a war
over common street row is absurd Have
little patience and give Chill a chance"
He shot His Cousin Sophia.
| SPRINGFIELD, Ills, Oct. Cd. Mienke,
| n nainter living at St Louis shot and