Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-16
FOREBODING.
The StandStill i'm Regard to
the Chilian Affair.
The President Gathering ALI the In
formation Possible
Before He Sends a Special
Message to Congress.

Given Assurance That Politics viii BE
! Allowed to Cat No Figure When the
! Honor of the Nation is at Stake-Ex-
ton Navy Yard-We are Preparing for
the Apparently Inevitable rs Rapidly
as Possible.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-There is
standstill in Chilian affairs that fore
bodies some important move on the part
of the president All the correspond
ence is in his hands and he is requiring
from the legal authorities in the depart
ment of justice some opinions concern
ing the effect of testimony taken at Val
LEGO since the return of the Baltimore.
Politics Not in 1t.
The most important fact that has
come to light is that the president has
personally sounded some of the leading
Democrats as to what would be the atti-
tude of the house in case the situation
becomes so serious that the national
honor will have to be upheld by force Of
arms.
Chairman Blount, of the house foreign
affairs committee, has been consulted,
and he gave the president the assurance
that there would be no hesitation on the
part of the house to vote all that may
be necessary to sustain the honor of the
flag. While intent on general re-
trenchment of governmental expenses,
there is no member on either side of the
house who will hesitate to appropriate
all that may be required to secure satis-
faction from Chill. No political capital
could be made out of such expenditures,
as they would be extraordinary in their
character. The president has not indi-
Gated the date upon which he will send
his message to congress. 1t may be eX-
pected very shortly, and in this connec-
ton there Is resumption of the un-
wonted activity of getting the navy in
good shape.
At the Washington Navy Yard.
The Washington navy yard ordinarily
has been in operation eight hours each
day, Recently the gun foundry and
projectiles shop were put on twelve hour
turns. Within the present week ar
rangements have been made to operate
the yard on three eight-hour turns per
day, which means uninterrupted work
for twenty-four hours in every working
day. There is a great shortage in shells
for the eight, ten and twelve-inch guns.
The plant for their manufacture has
never been large, as all that were kept
on hand was n sufficient number for ex-
perimental purposes when gun-tests
were being conducted
SO short is the present supply that the
government was obliged to buy proiec-
tiles abroad with which to make the re-
centarmor tests at Indian Head. If our
improved navy is to be effective each one
of the ships win have to have a tre-
mendous amount of these projectiles on
hand, and it is to equip them in this re-
spect that the projectile shop is now in
constant operation day and night.
For tho purpose OF aiding in the de-
fense Of the Atlantic coast two of the
old monitors which have been for years
lying in the mud at Norfolk are to be
iloated and manned. They will only be
available for coast defense, as they are
old-timers, unable to stand up against
modern ships, but they can be armed
with modern guns, and each will make
the most formidable kind of o floating
battery
Troops Concentrated.
It is estimated that the war depart
ment has now concentrated within easy
reach Of San Francisco at least 10000
men. When the size of the United
States army is considered, and the fact
that certain posts in Indian reservations
have to be well equipped at all times
with troops, it will be seen that the de-
partnent has put about the last avail
able man where he will be handy when
needed.
War Seems Inevitable.
There can be no doubt that the presi-
dent believes a peaceful settlement is
unlikely 10 occur. He is preparing as
rapidly for the other contingency as
present facilities will permit and when
he can go no further without congress
sional action the official request for such
action will be made