The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-07
LOOKS MUCH LIKE WAR.
The Seal Question is Grow
ing Serious.
Blaine and Harrison Look
ing for a Fight,
And England is Inclined to
Accommodate Them.
All American Ships Ordered TO
the Pacific Coast.
The Struggle Expected to Be-
gin in Next February.
English Statesmen Take Excep.
tiOns to Blaine's Views.
The Correspondence in the Case High
ly Interesting.

NEw YORK, Jan. ;. - An Annapolis
special to the Times says: Comment is
aroused among the navy officers over the
series of orders enanating from the navy
department within the past few weeks,
directing the commissioning of war ships
at san Francisco and the ordering of vari
Gus other cruisers to Pacific waters.
Under the present orders, no less than
aleyen war ships and five revenue cutters
will soon be in commission in the Pacific
and ready for duty. If, in addition, the
rumored chartering and arming of seven
steamers for revenue cutter duty in Ber-
ing sea proves correct, the L. 5. naval
force will number twenty-three ships
against the five British gunboats and one
armored vessel at present protecting
Great Britan's interests in the North Pa
cific. 1t is now asserted that the Yantic
will be sent from New York to the Pacific.
This will increase the above force by still
another vessel. The orders sent out from
the navy department during the past few
weeks have included the immediate fit
ting out of the San Francisco, the ordering
the Asiatic station TO join the Pacific
squadron; the ordering in commission of
the corvettes Marion and Alert, now at
San Francisco; the ordering of the Omaha,
flag ship of the Asiatic squadron, to pro-
ceed at once to San Francisco, the alleged
reason being that she needs repair; the
ordering of the Thrtis TO be fitted out for
duty upon the alleged assignment of sur
veying duty.
aside from the above orders, it is
pointed out that no orders are being issued
for the cruisers Charleston and san Fran
cisco TO leave the Pacific coast. Already
there are six war ships at San Francisco
the cruisers San Francisco, Charleston,
Swatara, Marion, Alert and The tis On
the Cen raj American coast, the Ranger is
within call. At HOnolula and Samoa,
ready to proceed to San Franbisco as soon
as ordered, are the cOrvettes Mohican and
lrOduois. At Sitka. Alaska, Is the Pinta.
Scattered along the Pacific coast, and all
within reach of the telegraph, are four
revenue cutters.
'The Omaha left China Dec. l. for San
Francisco. She is expected TO arrive in
February. Should the Yantic be ordered
20 the Pacific, as rumored, she should
reach San Francisco during the same
month. Aside from the Omaha and Yam
JIG, IL Is calculated that ten warships arc
now In posi- ion for mobilization at san
Francisco inside of forty days Six war
ships are ready for immediate work.
In view of the Bring sea controversy,
and the rumored chartering OF seven
steamers for revenue cutter duty, the
above disposition is deemed ominous. As
the fishing season does not begin earlier
than May, the concentration of the Twelve
warships can be egectei before the rev
enue cutters are ready to proceed to the
Bering sea IL is believed the whole
L. 5. force in the Pacific will then con-
centrate off Port Townsend"
A Washington special to the same pa
per says that those persons who are inter
ested IN the Berng sea controversy have
read, with some concern, those dispatches
from Europe which intimate that the Brit
ish feet Is TO be complemented in the
North Pacific bv the fleet of the German
empire. The dispatch says that this does
not appear improbable TO anv one who
has been aware of the persistency with
which Great Britain and Germany have
operated In the Pacific. Intimations are
heard here that the navy department is
proceeding In a way to indicate deter
mination TO meet this display of English
and German fOrce by an increase OF the
[. :. fleet on the west coast, ami by an
immediate concentration OF available YES
sels at san Francisco. Exactly what the
feet Will be expected TO accomplish at
this time Is not asserted, and, so far from
verifying the report, the NAVAL officers who
have asked about il appear TO be in abso-
lutte ignorance concerning the whole busi-
ness.