The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-01-29
Chill and the United states

needless patriot thinks for in his frs
moments of enthusiasm, Chili's bes
hold would be to ally herself at once h
more powerful nation than herself
and that could only be one of the grea
powers Of Europe, In that case strang,
complications would come, 1t NIGH
be that one or more of the great power
would side with the United States, ant
all the civilized world be involved. Ii
course of time one fact would probabl,
take shape in the midst of the chaos
English speaking nations must stand to
gether, trade or no trade,
At present Of our regular army WI
have available no more than 10000 men
Chill has available of her regular army
1900 men. But they are desperate
fighters and almost as tough and wiry
as the Andes Indian runners. They can
march more than thirty miles day in
and day out, Besides, it is to be remem.
bered that they would be on their own
ground. Upon their native ground at
home good soldiers are equal to three
times their number of an invading army,
especially one not familiar with the Ian.
guage. AT the most, Chill could put
into the field, of regulars, militia and
volunteers, 10000. The Chilians were
thoroughly enraged against us by the
seizure of the itata by the United States
government last summer, and they
would enter the army with unusual
| readiness. On our side we have at pres
ent 100000 men in our national guard,
with more or less knowledge of drill
and discipline, That would be at least
shade better than when the war of
1861 began. Then we had no militia at
all to speak of. But if war should be-
gin and progress we could have ere long
an army of million men, equal to a
third of Chili's population, Indians and
all.
For naval warfare Chill and the
United States are more nearly matched
than is agreeable to the vanity of the
greatest republic on earth. We have
begun great navy, it is true, but Chill
began before we did, She has, if France
will deliver it to her, the Captain Pratt,
ready finished at Toulon, steel battle
ship more powerful than anything we
can bring against her. Besides being
built for naval engagements she has a
speed of nineteen knots. She is larger
than the Maine, having a displacement
OF $500 tons. The Pratt has 12-inch
armor Besides this powerful vessel,
which has not yet been delivered to her, |
Chill has the Esmeralda. Cochrane, Err
razuriz and Pinto, protected cruisers of
between 1000 and 1000 tons displace-
ment. There are also six armed trans
ports. Most formidable to us, however.
would be Chili's torpedo fleet 1t will |
be remembered that two of her torpedo
boats, the Almirante Lynch and Con-
dell, sunk the Blancn Encalada of Bal
fleet last year These boats
are 24O feet long, 2715 feet beam, and
have a draft of only 10 feet, and
Chilli has ten more of the same kind
Then there are two second class torpedo
boats, fourteen in all, abundantly equip
ped with Whitehead torpedoes.
Now for our side: Within few weeks
5he United States could bring against
he CHILEAN seacoast no less than twelve
protected steel cruisers of approved mod
ern construction, nearly all of them su-
Derior to any of the CHILEAN cruisers.
For coast defense on the Pacific we have
me barbette turret vessel of 4 ,04S tons
he Monterey. She has a powerful arma-
nent almost equal to that of the Pratt, but i;
ler speed is only sixteen knots an hour.
However, the Monterey will not be ready i
or two months. For coast defense on ,
he Atlantic there is the Miantonomoh,
turreted battle ship with four lO-inch
'uns. Also for coast defense we can
peedily make ready the necessary num- t
'er of single turret, light draft small !
monitors. Scores of armed transports
ould also be fitted up as rapidly as they ,
we're in the civil war 9
To match Chili's splendidly equipped 3
leet of fourteen torpedo boats, we have |
he Gushing, the Alarm and the Vesu-
Jus. The Stiletto, the little craft that. {
y means of new invention applied to I
er propelling power, can run thirty Z
niles an hour, was bought some time
nce by the government. She also is :.
eng fitted out for a torpedo boat +