The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-23


GOLFERS avn TR< yspORzs FOR chilli
How Oar Commercial Vessels Can Ne Ut'i'
Iced In south fsciec Operations.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 22.-The value Of an aux
Harry navy selected from the merchant marine
is having practical illustration in these days
of busy preparations for possible dealings with
Chill.
The first stage OF these preparations has
been completed with the mobllixinq OF every
cruiser OF the new steel feet. The Yorktown
and Boston are already in Gillian waters; the
Baltimore, Charleston, and Ban Francisco are
in the Pacific. and can soon DO sent thither; the
Chicago, Atlanta, and bennington are on the
South American coast, steaminr rapidly south
ward: the Philadelphia and Concord are in the
West Indies ready to move in any direction.
and will soon be Joined by the Newark from
Norfolk. while even the yesuvius ia said to be
fitting out ut the latter pojnt as An armed
despatch yessel for Cbilian waters. Tho Milan.
tonomoh. primarily n barbor defence vesseI. ia
ready at New York for any service. with her
ten.inch guns. The single oraft Of tho new
feet left ont Of this reckoning IA tho Ntt,o
Petrol. which IA IN The ditarranean. nroceed.
ing ChinawArd by way Of the suez Canal.
This task being accom- nlished. tho nrob,em
now under solution In that NJ ooal aupnl,ae far
these yessels. Chill ms n coaiino atatjon NJ
Punta Arenas IN tbe Strata NJ M ce,lan which
would probably be seized nv orr navv In On an
OF war: hut the Immediate n ecessitv IA to Yra.
naro for N stration witch ,pouid toL =. tho
place Of and preclude war. Bosides. shon,d n
point on the Chilian coast IN the nitrate rouion
be seized md held as a base Of onerations
there would have to be TRANSPORTS to convey a
garrison thithor. and Also TO carry supplies Of
coal for the ships, In the chief seaport cities
accordingly. the merchant marine Inns bean
carefully scanned. and the Navy Departm amt
has a record Of those vessels that are AVAILABLE
at once for CARRYING troops or coal and other
supplies. and also those that are best fitted for
use as torpedo craft. In San Francisco this
inquiry has been specially active and careful.
Every days delay in the reply OF Chilli to the
Governments suggestion OF reparation for the
Valparaiso outrage ia mt to good account. 40
that, although the President described this d.
lay to Congress as needless" It has proved
It is now probable that supply OF
torpedoes will soon be ready for the feet and
for auxiliary vessels, The recent successfui
trial of the Howell invention leaves Il oniv
necessary to push on the manufacture OF tor
pedoes of this sort. while the Whiteheads will
soon be ready, Work on the new ships has
received a fresh impetus, so that. should n
long diplomatic debate be inevitable. the Mon
terey. the Puritan. and the Terror will move
rapidly toward completion, with some Of the
unarmored craft. The ordnance yard and
private works are now hard at work on large
projectiles.
Should the present trouble with Chilli be
settled amicably, as of course It ought to be.
with the moderation Of our Governments de-.
msuds. It will still have proved Of the Greatest
peace had made the mobilization Of an efYect,ve
feet an untried experiment Even the Iittla
furry on the Isthmus, few years ago. had ,ts
uses as practice in the landing OF blueiacket
and marines the more recent strain IN our re.
lations with italy was seryiceable IN showing
what contingencies must be prepared for: hut
now for the first time in twenty-ave vears the
navy has really nut itself in thorough readi-
meas for hostilitiea.