The morning call., 1891-10-01
STORY OF THE ITATA.
The Fate of the Jnnta's Cause
Depended on Her.
A Valparaiso Banker Gives an Account of
Affairs in Chile and the Hostility
to the United States

The story of how the Junta won the revo-
luton in Chile reads almost like romance.
In it, too, may be discovered one reason for
the strong hostility of tfat nation toward
the United States.
Upon the safe arrival at IquiQue OF the
Chilean steamer 1tata, with her cargo OF
10000 Mannlicher rifles ana thousands of
rounds of smokeless fire cartridges, de-
pended the cause of the Instruction, and
closely upon it also followed the overthrow
of Balmaeeda.
Ii the United States could have prevented
it the ltata would never have reached Iqui-
que, and from its Jealous efforts to capture
that steamer and eOniscae the cargo springs the
present intense hatred OF Chile for this country.
The steamship City of Sydney. which reached
this port from Panama yesterday, had among lis
cabin passengers a banker OF Valparaiso, a
Spanish gentleman OF education and refinement,
who speaks English fueDtIy. THIS man was
and is an ardent supporter OF the Junta, as the
Congressional party OF Chile is termed. and
which n me has now become so closely identl-
lied with Chilean liberty. He stood very close
10 the leaders OF the insurrecIiOn and while
furnishing them much financial aid also had ill.,
innate knowledge of many state seer L.. Now
that the Juna's cause has been won, Balma-
ceda oyeTthrOwn ana dead, this gentleman mas
no hesitation III telling some facts connected
with the recent revolution that are not only new
but interesting. The only condition lie eXacted
from The reporter was that his name should De
withheld.
A STARTLING DECLARATION.
within five weeks from the date OF the pur-
chase in Europe" said he, "thiriy thousand
MannlIcher rifles and a huge amount OF smoke
less-tre cartridges were In the hands OF our
party at 1qulque."
He followed This with the equally startling
declaration that this lmmenS amount OF arlnS
and ammunition was shipped across The United
States, having been smuggled through the
Custon,-house at New Yosk and again through
The Cusiom-house here. loaded into two Amerl-
Can vessels In this port, transported 10 San
Diego, transferred there TO the Chilean steamer
Iaa Ia full view OF the customs officers oil that
port aud taken TO Chile, where IL was turned
over 10 HE Congress i0naist army fifteen days
before the seizure of the ltaIa by the United
States cruiser Charleston.
the audacliy Of the undertaking and the posi-
billy OF such gigantic smuggling enterprise
through The Two principal ports of the United
States the Chilean suggestiyely rubbed his
thumb and f0l efBger toge her and said signih-
canIly: Money, money; 1t Will do anything"
aud smiled.
Il am not at liberty to disclose the modus
operanGi OF the Shipment" he continued.
Enough that / have told you Its general out
lines. Neither can l divulge the names of the
vessels which received tile arms and carried
Them To San Diego, where the itata was waiting.
The completeness and dispatch OF the job you
may understand, however, when L say that The
ltata knew to a day when TO EXPECT the arms.
and The sagacIy and Wit OF her commanders you
have probably already admired, when you heard
how successfully they outwltIed the customs
officers al San Diego.
THEY COULD NOT STOP HER.
ION, no. They couldn't Stop her. 1t was i'm.
possible" aud then, as II recalling some pleas
ant half forgotten incident he paced up aud down
his room, muttering. Money, money, 1t accom-
plishes wonders"
sis Bamaceda dead?" asked The reporter. re-
ferring TO he doubts implied Ia recent dispatches
As To The defeated President having committed
suicide.
dead! OF course he is. To Kill himself was
tile only thing he could do. / was always OF the
opinion tDat he in santiago. He couldn't
have escaped, for the ships were TOO closely
watched aud at this time OF the year II Is I'M
possible 10 cross The Andes. The only months
OF The year when they are pass36le are j nuary,
February and March. His reported death was
the best news we could have heard Why. what
else could lie do? ConcealmeHt in Santiago for
any length of time was matter OF impossibility.
] lie pOpulace would have found him out, aud so
deadly was their hatred they would have rent
him limb from limb"
What ha, been the effect Iof the insurgents
victory and The overthrow OF the administration
in Chile generally"
"GOod very good indeed. Under Balmaceda
the country was becoming bankrupt Ii viii be
prosperous again. Indeed, it is prosperous
already"
WHAT was the cause of the popular hatred Of
BalmJceda Pr
HATRED OF BALMACEDA.
Because he did not govern according to the
Constitution. The Cbileans are an intensely
as quickly resent any departure from aceep, ed
lines. They elect the President there as you DO
here, Nv popular vote, aud Inc people demand
that lie shall administer the laws rightly. He
appointed men 10 The chief Mlnistel lal offices
that were diStasteful 10 the people AMI an Insult
10 lie iuI ell gence of the Congress. Their re-
inoyal was demanded and refused and the insnr-
rectlon followed. Another thing. Balmaeeda
was squandering the nations wealth. When lie
went into office the Treasury had a surplus OF
about $50, 900. 1t is Impossible to tell how
much OF that has been wasted.
" WHY he contracted with the Lloyd syndi-
cate of New York TO build railroad the length
of Chile, that alone was 10 cost $50, 1000, oU0.
The enterprise has fallen through, and hear
that a great many Americans lost heavily by
bnyiug The bonds offered FOR sale here Then
Btlmaceda had magnificent and ruinOus ideas
about public buildings. He built schools IN
hamleis that cost fortunes, schools for 500 and
1000 pupils, wnen there were not hlty scholars
available. The same IN r gard TO prisons His
ideas were extravagant. His Ministers backed
him up la all his wild schemes, and underneath
IL all was u growing fear on the part OF the
people that he stability OF the republic was
threatened. Rumors were rife that Balmaceda
intended TO declare himself Dictator This made
the people furious, aud u was little wonder that
every patriotic Chilean locked 10 the banner Of
the Junta when once IL was raised In Insured
lion. Balmaceda kept no fahh with his Con-
eiess aud ii was here thai The seeds of revoi-
lion were first sown. His administration was a
most disastrous one financially for Chile. p"
POLICY OF RETRENCHMENT.
"Will not the effect be lasting ?" was asked.
L
begun a policy OF retrenchment and am salts
fed ltat in the hands of The Junta. which com.
prfses The best aud most progressive men IN
Chile Il Will succeed"
"Whence dates the hostility of Chile toward
the United Stat 81"
Ever since Blaine nterfered during the war
with Peru. Bamaceda was at that time Secre-
tary of State, and doubt that had much in
fuence In shaping the attitude OF the United
States toward him in the recent struggle. Ii Is
Minister Egan's fault that this bad feeling has
been intensified, for he was exceedingly friendly
toward Balmlceda, and did all he could toward
retafdug The popular Cause"
is the feeling against Egan very strong
now ?"
so strong that l believe he will be recalled
There is strong disposition in Chile 10 have
another man IN his place POpniar prejudice,
indeed, may cause m 10 resign"
as the feeling against all Americans so ill.,
tense as has heru stated?' we further asked
"W H." said he earnestly. Z" wouldn't advise
any man from the Unifed States 10 invest his
money in our country or even 10 go to Chile
pushing most of The enterprises there, and our
people and they are on the most friendly Terms
1hey have much capital invested IN Chile In
fact the entile national debt has been consOllda-
ted and placed with The Rotbscbilds."
FAITH IN THE JUNTA.
Referring again 10 the termination of the war
the gentleman said he had abiding faith In
the Junfa aud so have the people. He dwelt
long, and with considerable bitterness, on the de-
termlned efforts made by TIL United States Gov
ernment 10 capture The ltaia, and said: III
eious cargo on board the In Chile would not
yet be ended" He particularly emphasized thu
fact that much of the success OF the insurgent
forces at the plaza outside OF Valparaiso on The
day that the decisive battle was fought was due
to their Use OF the smokeess powder brought on
the Itata. 1T gave us the advantage OF aim"
The city OF Valparaiso, II appears, was not
damaged Ia the least by the fire and carnage Of
that battle 1t presents the same appearance to-
day il always did. After pause the speaker
suddenly asked whether there Is a DR.. Martinez
RamoZ in this ety.
If there is" lie said, 81 shall hunt him up
and hOrsewhip him publicly. IL Is Il duty that, as
q patriotic citizen, owe Chile"
When asked tue cause of his luminosity TO-
ward the doctor lie eXctedly exclaimed ale
was the enemy of his country. lie was Balma-
ceda's secret agent here, and IL was through
information he furnished the United States Gov
eminent that The nature OF The Iiata's voyage to
San Diego was learned anu her capture nearly
resulted. "
The speaker once more referred TO The hos
tty OF his country toward Americans, and said
that much of The present bitterness was due TO
Ibis country's refusal TO furnish the cruiser
Esmeralda with coal.
Found in Orphan Asylum.