New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-25
CHILrS FORCE AND OURS.
PROGRESS OF THE PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
WHAT THE NAVY DEPARTMENT HAS DONE TO
MEET AN EMERGENCY.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TLi6usE.,

partmen IS awaiting anxiousy the result Of t0-Inor-
rows action by Congress the Gillian matter Tor
upon the result may depend In great measure whether
the service to have the opportunity for which 1t has
so long waited and In anticipation OF when all the
preparations and expenditure Of years have been made
1t j. not proper to assume that there Is to be wa be-
the Navy Department j engaged in warllkc
preparations. 1t would be criminal neglect on inc
part OF the authorities if the possibility OF connct
were allowed to unnoticed and the actual prcpaa
tons for emergencies deferred until Congress should
formally declare war
When the examination OF the situation and the cir
cumstances which led TO the present strained relation
between the United states and Chill ], made by the
properly authorized body, and IT Is decided mat iho
only way to secure redress OF grievances from the
offending nation is by force Of arms, the Navy VIII be
found to be In efficient condition. II will not be III
such superior condition, however. to make the de
feat OF Chill the mater OF affair that the sngne
have pictured. The Chillans have many advantages
over the American fo.ces which will count for great
deal in actual conflict The reports from chill when
have been received at the Department represent that
country a. engaged in energetic effort TO gather
the munitions Of war is going in this country.
Chill IS known to have formidable army. including
the large remnant OF the conending in the recent
revolution; and those who composed the volunteer
in that conflict and survived Its desperate engage
mentS are not yet too long out of service 10 make their
passemblage difficult The Chllians have a good
airy composed OF sturdy men, mounted on hardy ami
mails, capable OF going through the wcarying work
necessary in that mountainous country The stasling
army is made mp Of 5000 men, organized into light
battalOns OF infantry. three regiments OF cavalry
regiments of light artillery and Of heavy artillery
for the seacoas defenccs. The Government Is capable
OF strengthening this force 10y Incorporating into the
service the National Guard of 81 900 officers and
making thirty two regiments OF Infantry and nine
troops Of cavalry. All the troops are armed with
no fLc inf, fry uIt ho itch.r
used In OF the European services aud the artillery
with Krupp weapons. Lighter ordnance from the
liOtchkiss works, that she Gillian forces are by
no means behind the times I'm point OF equipment.
Moreover, they have the advantage Of any nation
the face OF the globe In having actually put 10 service
the modern machines of When the American
officers 60 10 Chill, II they do, they win be
cXpcrimentcrs, to n large extent, In the manipulation
OF guns and torpcdoes. The Chilan> have trained
their guns and discharged their torpedo, I'm the pres
ence of enemy. They have learned what strategy
from actual OnstratiOn and their knowledge
Of military tactics was not obtained spley from n
pcruea of German TRANSACTIONS. Chl's army. there
fore, is entirely competent to take her pos
sessions and prove formidable adversary nearly
double the force which might be sent from the United
States.
The Gillian Navy has It's weaknesses. the principal
defect being that the ships les, modern than
those possessed Is this country. They are mostly
"A
almost any on the deck Of any Of vessels.
and In those particular, in which they d come up
10 the wars ships Of this country. there are such
elements better projection to give the American
vessels advantage. The Gillian Navy will rely
IT, torpedo force for IT. great defensive and aggressive
power. There II large supply OF Whitehead torpclocs
already hand. and II Is reported 10 the Navy
Department here that 100 men their way from
Montevldco Valparaiso. The torpedo attack /. the
only OF attack which gives the United States
officers any concern. one little torpedo from a boat
no larger than a row loat will be sufficient to scnd the
Monterey, the be,t vessel Of the navy. to the
bottom Of the Pacific. Added to the efficient
force at the command Of the Chans. they Will have
the advantage Of being at the base Of supplies and
capable of readily rccupcstng from any DISASTER that
may bcfall them. They an mpctuOus rce from
all accounts, and would rather die In battle than
render Their mode 81 warfare l. unTmmellci hy
the laws Of humanity. and they carry nto conflict
all the barbarlsm Of savagcry. The more intelligent
possess excellent gcner,lshp. and the les ntcneclt
carry The plans Of their leaders with vi-pr that
means determination VI the enemy or death ~ the
attempt.
IT may be Interesting I'm View Of ti- statement Of
Chlis 10 know just how The nit~l states
stands to-day in the work of preparation.
There has been a great deal done. Of course. Of
which it would be obviously improper tell including
the projected movements of ships and the plan OF
attack all of which have been decided upon and laid
by for future use. Admiral Gherarr would IN the
event Of hOsltcs between the two Republics take
command Of the Pacific station, with Admiral Walker
second in command. Even admiral Ghcrarli j.
on his way MontevIdeo with the Philadelphia.
where he will receive further instructions, BY the
time he reaches that port 1t will probably be known
whether there is 10 be not, AID he VIII lee
advised as his Admiral Walker Is still at
MonteVideO with the Chicago Bennington and Atlanta
Dispatches have been sent him advising" him to
| q. tptfrVu
stances warrant the appearance Of his fleet at Val
paraiso. 81 far nothing has occurred To justify his
departure the crrand OF and he will probably
remain at MOntevideO until Congress acts on the lrcs
dents message.
The details Of the attack the Chlians have been
mapped out by Captain Malan the president OF '''e
Naval War College, and Commodore FOlger the Naval
chief Of Ordnance. They have spent much Time
i'm formulating a scheme which viii De entrusted io
Admiral Gherardl to carry out.
The work under the Construction Bureau has III
Guided the equipment OF five Of the old war monitors
They do not require much In the way Of repairs t'
main work being the painting OF bottoms and the oiing
| up Of the machinery. They are each fitted Win TWO
IL inch muzze loading guns, and they stand today
are formidable craft They would be extremely useful
I'm coast defence il the Gillian attack should take 20
improbable Il direction The monitors to be htd Tor
sea are the Comanchc, at Mac Island, California the
MontaulI. mt League Island, Penn-y lNaia, the Nan
ticke Brooklyn. and the rassac and Wyandotte al
Norfolk The COmanchc built In Jersey Guy bS
DonOhue Ryan & Sccor and tho Montauk ana I'lssaic
are Ericsson vessels. built at Brooklyn ne chhtleI
ing tine steamer Ohio for use a. repair snp anu
her e1upment nj the Boston Navy Yard, i Of the
latest plans OF the Department III llstfdtfs lc VI
| advantages Of Naval warfare abroad, where the dir
aIling az vessel may mean her complete Destruction
| A big ship with the Intricate mechanism U HoueIH
man Ofwar. unable 10 use her guns OF nmr Iin
chines would be at the mercy Of "A To- not ordinarily
her equal. II is expensive matter 10 NJ on, h"
floating machine shop, but the p'cnc, 81 ,'r Iii m
Of repairing disabled vessels might mean the result ol
| a war I'm fnvor Of a nation that had the foresight 10
| bring along is tools. , a a,,o,
The Cushing f. being rapidly put IN order ana l'led
with torpedo tubes from which both the Whitehead ana
the Howell torpedo may be hreu me |csun, ,d -,
socaIlcd dynamitc ship will probably be protected u,
to her Vital parts. BY thin strips oi nmor she VII,
also be equipped with cotton pOlcctlcs ana oihhl
10 be A valuable addition TO the force aioat II, thr