New-York tribune., 1891-05-24
EVEN BOYS DRAFTED IN CHILL.
DEPRESSING EFFECT OF THE WAR.-CHuRCh
AND WOMEN AGAINST BALNfACEDA.

VALPARAISO. April 14-War news is scarce.
What occurs in the part of the country occupied
by the insurgents or "Oppostionsts,' as they
call themselves, is kept out of the papers here
which are all under Government supervision The
last action of which we have news is the taking
of Antofagasta. Coquimbo will probably be taken
next. and then Talcahuano, to the south OF here,
after which Santiago is likely to be the OBJECT
of attack The feet con easily take both 20
quimbo and Talcahuano, which are poorly pro-
tected Valparaiso is well protected by batteries
advantageously placed on the hills at each side
of the city and in the city itself and has q
garrison of 5000 men. The Government parry
claim to have an army of 10000 men, whlch Is
larger than the army engaged in the war WIN
Peru. Throughout the country every aDie-Dodleu
man is required TO volunteer his services even
boys are taken. Squads of soldiers scour tne
country, and every eligible man or boy iouhu ID
immediately taken to O cuartei, where ne elther
Joins the ranks of his own free Will or undergoes
such forcible persuasion that he is glad TO Voluh-
teer The harvesters have thus been taken from
their work and a great deal of wheat has been
left in the fields TO rot The wheat crop this year
was large. so that even under the existing state
of affairs the railroads are taxed to their utmost
to bring it to the seaboard and they do not carry
Opposition wheat, either.
Valparaiso is safe from attack by the Opposi-
ton fleet, as it has so many foreign, as well as
Opposition, interests The Oppositionlsts have I'll
the northern ports, from whence most OF the reVe-
nue. is derived; and Admiral Montt receives and
disburses it on board of his flag ship, the Blanco
Encalada. Business is at n standstll and thc
people are much depressed. The mails are nfre-
quent and irregular; all suspicious-looking matter
is cxominpd by Government officials who likewise
control the dispatches of newspaper correspondents.
The popular feeling seems TO be in favor Of the
Opposition, which is also the clerical party Inc
Church works for il, and Of course uses the women
of the country in its cause There is so much
sympathy for the revOutionistS that III case OF n
battle many of the Government soldiers are likely
to shoot their own officers and then join the
enemy Such is the influence of the Church over
these people that they go as the priests direct,
which is against Balmaceda and his Liberal Gov
ernment lie has doubtless acted unconsutut:on-
ally in insisting upon naming his successor and in
assuming a sort of dictatorship during the crisis.
He has made many enemies and 1t IS feared that,
whether he wins loses, he VIII De Killed AJ
present every means is taken to guard has person
and prevent treachery Both parties are very sure
of success, and the conflict promises to be long
one.
There are at present in Valparaiso four foreign
men-of-war-the United States ships Pensacola
and Baltimore one French and one British gun
boat The Balmaceda feet consists OF four tor
pedo boats, two torpedo cruisers, the Almirante
port steamer the Imperial which carries a light
battery. This is quite insignificant in comparison
with the feet Of about twenty ironclads cruisers
and transports belonging to the Opposition.