The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-01-21
STILL HANGING FIRE.
PREPARATIONS FOR &C.
TIVE WAR GOING ON.
Rumored Reports of the Chilean Government
Having Ordered Fleet of Boats to
the Straits Of Magellan-Admi-
raj Brown Interviewed.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-Five mem
bers of the house committee on foreign
affairs called at the department OF
state just before noon today to pay
their respects to Mr.. Blaine. This
visit is in pursuance of long estab.
lished custom whereby at the begin.
ming Of each congress, the committee
of the house which has to do with
foreign relations calls upon tho secre-
tary of state. Usually these visits are
purely formal and particularly this
time, when a majority of the house
is politically opposed to the secretary.
The call made by the committee today
was awaited with interest, for it was
expected the strained relations be-
tween this country and Chile might
be touched upon by the secretary.
The five members of the committee
were Chairman Blount, Hoaker,
Geary, O'Donnel and Hammer. Ac-
cording to their statements Blaine
did not make single direct allusion
to the relations with Chile. To the
surprise of the committee he did call
their attention to the necessity of
speedy action by congress upon the
Nicaragua canal project. The secre-
tary was fully equipped with facts
and figures to support his reasoning
and very fluently described the polit-
ical Importance of the canal, The vol
ume of traffic which will probably
pass through it and the advantages
to accrue from the retention of it's
management and control in American
hands.
Incidentally it was made clear to
the committee that the possession of
such a waterway between the At
lantic and Pacific oceans was of
enormous strategic advantage if it
should be necessary to transfer naval
vessels from one side of the country to
the other. But of the Chilean troubles
the secretary said not werd directly.
1t cannot be learned that any COM
munications passed this morning be-
tween the state department and
Minister Egan, nor was Montt, the
Chilean minister, at the department.
Several senators and representatives
called upon Blaine during the fore
ngon. One of the former, who is from
an interior western state, said he had
heard nothing recently from the
secretary relating to Chile, but did
feel that this country should now
assert it's dignity and spank the
bumptious little South American re-
public.
The reported preparations of the
Chilean government for war, though
lacking official combinations in all
details as yet, is viewed with deep
concern at the navy department. The
reported shipment of torpedoes
through Montivedeo to Chile has had
the effect of warning the naval officers
that in the event of war they are to be
met by foe armed with the latest
modern weapons. Unmistakable
preparations are discerned, ii is said,
in the reported dispatching of fleet
of three cruisers and torpedo boat
from Valparaiso under sealed orders,
and which was reported from Chile
through private sources yesterday. 1t
is the prevailing opinion at the navy
department that this fleet is bound for
the Straits OF Magellan, which is re-
garded to certain extent as the gate
way to Chile.
A comparatively small number of
well.armed vessels, advantageously
placed in those straits could, in the
opinion of naval experts, hold the i'm
portant passage against large fleet.
To be sure, this would not necessarily
prevent the ultimate rounding of Cape
Horn by an American squadron bound
for Chile, as three days steaming at
most would carry the ship into the
Pacific by the outside route.
The theory is, however, that it is
the desire of the Chileen government
to afford such protection TO the coal
and supply station of Porto Caballo in
the straits. The capture of this sta
ton would be q serious blow to
Chile, and might ultimately be made
the object of q campaign in
southern waters in case of hostilities.
AS it is the Chilean vessels, supposing
the straits to be their destination, can
easily reach the point before Admiral
Walker, who is at Montevideo with
the Chicago, Atlanta and Bennington.
The Concord is also on it's way to
Montevideo. The other vessels sta
toned on the Pacific are as follows:
Yorktown, Valparaiso; Boston, Callao,
Peru; Charleston, San Francisco, and
Baltimore at San Francisco. Besides
these new ships there are the Essex
and Yantic at Montevido.
Secretary Tracy was at his office all
the morning seeing members of con-
gress and other callers. The navy de-
partment was in constant Geographic
communication with the navy yards
and naval stations in all parts of the
country for several hours last night.
FEELING AMONG CoNGREssNIEN.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-The men,
bers of congress are awaiting with
considerable interest the publication
of the Chilean correspondence. The
members of the house foreign affairs
committee have followed the matter
closely, but generally with little to
guide them in forming conclusion
except the publications in the news
papers. There is belief entertained
by some members who have watched
developments with more than ordi-
nary interest, that peaceful solution
of the trouble can be found, and while
the situation is grave, war will not
result.
1t is understood at the capital that