The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-13

WAL ClOS6u mas Deon DuSlly euSag6Q print
ing columns of accounts of courageous
crimes' of the Balmacedan administration.
The correspondent asserts many of the de-
feated soldiers of Balmaceda were slaught-
cred on the field at Placillas after they had
been disabled by wounds. High officials
disclaim responsibility for these actions,
and for the sacking OF houses in Santiago
THE DESTRUCTION IN SANTIAGO
was enormous. The most magnificent resi-
dences in the city, belonging 10 members Of
Balmaceda's party, were entered and every
thing they contained demolished. Doors
and windows were broken out and nothing
left but the bare walls. Persons charged
with having performed criminal acts under
Balmaceda's administration have suffered
contlscation of property.
In letter under date of October Is the
correspondent says among Americans in
Chilli, or at least those who enjoy the re-
spect OF the community in which they live,
there is not to be found one who expresses
any sympathy with the charges made
against Egan here and in section of the
American press. Egsn's policy, he says,
has been one calculated to advance Ameri-
can interests in Chill without any attempt
at secrecy. He endeavored to make ar
engagements with the CHILEAN government,
then represented by Balmaceda. by which
some inducement would De offered for
American capital to become interested in
the valuable nitrate property IN the north
ern part of the country. This enterprise
had hitherto been and still is controlled al
most exclusively by the English. This was
the chief of the
IMPROPER CONTRACTS"
with Balmaceda's government which Egan
Is accused of making. The most he could
have obtained and the most he had any in
tentlon of obtaining, was a share of the
nitrate business for Americans who might
care to enlist in the enterprise. But there
was hardly an Englishman in all Chill who
did not regard these efforts on the part of
the American minister as direct menace
to English interests, and there has hardly
been an Englishman in Chill since that
time who has not contributed his share to
the general cutlery against Egan and all
Americans. Minister Egan also endeav-
ored to agitate for the establishment of
an American steamship line on the west
coast OF South America and was instru-
mental in having American cable lines eX-
tended to Valparaiso. He undertook other
measures of similar nature, and in all
these efforts to advance
THE INTERESTS OF HIS COUNTRY
he met the same opposition and the same
criticism. All this occurred before the
revolution in Chilli began. At that time
many American residents declared them
| selves more or less openly, in favor of the
! reVolutlonlsts. Egan did not do so for the
very good reason he was accredited to the
government headed by Balmaceda. The
Insurgents, however, at all times admitted
but one principle, and that was that per-
sons who did not declare openly in their
favor must be opposed. When the Itata
was sliced, the English residents started
the cha &c that Egan was responsi BILE.
although he knew nothing about it beyond
what he read in the Gillian newspapers.
The correspondent says Egan was never
accused of visiting Balmaceda or the repre-
sentatives of his government and after
ward declaring openly in favor of the in
surgents, and expressing the hope they
would win. On the contrary, Kennedy,
the British minister, and other foreign
diplomats, expressed loud opinions in
favor of the insurgents.
EGAN COURTS THE FULLEST INVESTIGATION
on his neutrality during the whole pro
gress OF the war and some of tho most
prominent men in the Congressional party
now do not hesitate to declare that his DO :
sition was one Of strict neutrality.
The English residents and English minis ter,
| however, continue to circulate ANNOYING
rumors about Egan and keep before The
public insulting insinuations which are en-
| tirely without foundation. The English
minister himself is being criticized for hav.
| ing secured for Balmaceda British man
ofwar in which to send several millions in
silver out of the country. At the date oil
the letter the provisional government hac
acknowledged the United States minister
was acting right in giving the refugees
asylum and it is believed safe conduci
will ultimately be issued.
A letter is enclosed which was printed il
q Santiago paper from Frank Egan, son Of
the minister, dealing at length with the
inuendoes dealt in by certain American
papers and refuting the charges brough
against himself and father in the matter o.
contracts, fiat iobs' etc.