The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-17
CHILE MAY SHOW FIGHT.
orMoR5 THAT SHE IS PREPARING
FOR HOoTILITIRs.

maine Called On By Five Members Of
.na House Committee on Foreign
Aesirs-Isstead of Talking OF Chile
He Tries to Boom the Nicaragua
Canal Project
r.sH1yGroN, Jan. 16.-Five of the men,
49,. of the House committee on foreign
ss.,rs called at the department of state
i,s, hefore noon to-day, to pay their re-
Its 70 Secretary Blaine. This visit was
~ pursuance Of long established custom
ubereby at the beginning of each congress
40 committee Of the House which has to
A with foreign relations calls upon the
g.,retary of State. Usually these visits are
.,relv formal, and particularly is this true
absn the majority OF the House is politi-
,,ly opposed TO the secretary.
7Hr NICARAGUA CANAL ADVOCATED.
Rut the call made by the committee to-
dav was awaited with much interest, for
!, was expected that the strained relations
batween this country and Chile would be
sonched upon by the secretary. The
Sca members OF the committee were
Cbsrman Blount, and Messrs. Hooker,
Geary Mcdonnell and Harmer. and accord
inT 20 their statement Secretary Blame did
no, make a single direct allusion TO our re-
istiops with Chile. To the surprise of the
committee he did call to their attention
the necessity for speedy action by congress
unon the Nicaragua canal project
FUsILADE OF FACTS.
The secretary was fully equipped with
facts aud figures to support his reasoning,
and very huently he described the political
4 imnortauce of the canal, the volume OF
a m vvor,Ii rrOha hiu kh-Opoyb
Il and the advantages TO accrne from re-
te1tion Of its management and control in
American banda. Incidentally IL was made
clear to the committee that the possession
N such a waterway between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans would be of enormous
s strategic ad vantage if it should be necessary
70 transfer our naval vessels from one side
Of the country to the other. But of the
Chilean trouble the secretary said not a
s. word directly It cannot be learned that
arv communications have passed this morn-
ing between the state department and Min
iser Egan. nor was Senior Montt, the Chill
can minister, at the department.
WANTS CHILE SPANKED.
Several senator's and representatives
called upon Secretary Blaine during the
forenoon. One OF the former, who is from
40 interior western state. said that be had
# heard nothing directly from the secretary
relating to Chile, but he did feel that the
country should now assert its dignity
81 and spank the bumptious little
South American republic. This reported
preparations Of the Chilean government for
war, though LACKING official confirmation
in all the details as yot, Is vieW Wed with deep
concern at the navy department The res
ported shipment Of torpedoes through Nom
tevide0 to Chile has had the effect of warn
Ing the naval oil 3ers that in the event of
war they are TO be met by foe armed with
the latest modern weapons
OTHER EVIDENCES OF DANGER.
Other unmistakable preparations are to
b. discerned 1t is said, such as the reported
dtspatchng Of fleet OF three cruisers and
torpedo boat from Valparaiso under
AGei riders, which was reported
from Chile through private sources yeste
day. 1t is the prevailing opinion
o. The navy department that this
deet IS bound for the Straits
Of Magellan, which may be regarded, to a
certain extent, as the gateway to Chile. A
comparatively small number of well-armed
vessels advantageously placed in these
straits could, in the opinion of naval
experts, hold that important passage
against large fleet. To be sure this would
nov necessarily prevent the ultimate round
ng OIL Cape Horn by an American squads
I9l oound for Chile, as two days steaming
almost would carry the ships into the Pa
uuo oY an outside route.
CHLEs CoALING STATION.
Inc theory is, however, that it is the
pHvy OF the Chilean government to afford
supe protection to its important coal and
supply station at Porto CapelIo. in the
SfaltS. The capture of this station would
va serious blow to Chile and might ulti-
.lAN mAeiy Do made an object of campaign in
"u'lern waters in case of hostilities. AS il
a.. me Chilean vessels, supposing the
,.aS ..'n 10 be their destination, can
T.ay JnIy reach that point before Admiral
%%II.A7r, who issnow at MontevIdeo with The
GGarago Atlanta and Bennington. The
TT.a'oId T.a'N Is also on her way to Montevideo
,.O.. to0U.ler vessels on the Pacific are sta
Was T,Iol as follows: The Yorktown is al
~ S ralSo. the Boston is at Callao, Peru
Tl. Is Unsrleston and San Francisco at Sar
Bsso, 49,. anQ the Baltimore at San Francisco.
SToSs ,'uss these new ships there are the E s.
VA anu fantic at Montevideo.
H'll'lrY OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
mc'ny m"oOteIary Tracy was in his Office all the
ob.. b,allS \, seeing members of congress and
cons.sS rs salierS The navy department. was in
Msn Man' geographic communication witt
m,,.'iy masy yards and the naval stations in al
nobt T Sle country for several hours las
Ws,s.L Wat mere are now completed at tbs
raso ton gun foundry twenty 6-inct
c,iba-a anu sixteen Of the and 1O-inch
ur rs, u.s. maKlng present stock of thirty
srs MN, Saas ot most modern patterns that
NnspoG.lc %aG.lcaliy available for Immediate use
hEr,a aa3 takes about fifty days of eizh
the 9lebet Oaen 70 make 6-inch gun, but wher
hi, no.io9 logr system is put into operation
ean F,'Iou da1o can be cut down to about seven
plsted ~ . Ihe Pinch gun recently COM
cst s1s ood vue navy yard for the Monterey
rsCaiva5 y. according to the final reportr
labor ~ m d! the navy department. Th,
vsgb, VI ~ IL cost but $4,000. The gur
abCSt 4o 1V4'OVO pounds, and thus cost
Nersps Cen.s oal pound, or nearly half the
Gros1 Tgst T5st OF guns of the same size
ho.in, ! us is regarded as an excellent
Tia nsSr s LOT the foundry. 1t is denied al
ben is;po% apartment that any order has
Es,hinottooaa 70 exclude visitors from the
You'd le 'Gn ;pl navy yard. Such an order
shen Il vo.,1eeo Issued only in the event Of war
HaOt "0uVu Do necessary to protect the
N.n INTEREST OF CONGRESS-.
sosjsoesThs, sojHOeTs Of congress are awaiting witt
@CblleaUrte interest the proclamation o.
aas Hora!c !co9rrespondence. The members
haBed ,te foreign affairs committe hav,
@ ltGe matter closely, but generally
y conoi,, 70 guide them in form
atloa in iN'uSlons aa except the publ
sslst en,.Ii an Ihe newspapers. There is