The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-17
THE PRESIDENT IMPATIENT.
Chill Still Hesitates to Answer
Uncle Sans Demands.
Ihe Committee ON Foreign Affairs Calls on
Mr.. Blaine. But He Has Nothing q, say
ABOUT chilt-Interested In the Nioa-
ransa Canal-ehiIt Gsuite AS Active In
War Preparations az che United st.ses.

eSU1t6 AS Active I'm
war Preparations AZ she United STAGES.
WASHINGTON, Jan. rS-TSpecialh-
Five Of the members of tao House com
mittee on foreign affairs called at the
Department of State just before noon
to-day to pay their respects 10 Secretary
eiaine. This visit was in pa suance of
the long established CUSTOM. whereby at
Il. the beginning of each. Congress the
committee of the House,, whash has to
do with foreign relations. calls BON the
Secretary Of State
and particularly Is this true when n
majority OF the House is-politioally OPP
posed to tho Secretary. But the call
made by the committee. to-day was
awaited with much interest, for 1t was
expected the strained rela tions between
this country and Chilli would, be touched
upon by the Secretary.
Inc nVe members of the committee
We're Chairman Blount, Hooker, @eary.
o'Donnell and Harmer, and according
20 their statements Mr.. Blaine did NOT
make single direct allusion to onr
relation with Chilli.
10 the surprise of the committee he
dtd call to their attention TO the. naces-
sity for speedy action by Congress Upon
the Nicaragua canal project The score
tary was fully equipped with facts and
ngures TO support his reasoning, and
very fiuently he described the political
Importance of tae canal, tho volume of
traffic which would probably pass
through it, and the advantages to. ac-
crre from retention of its manage
ment and control, In American hands.
incidentally it was made cleae to the
committee that tho possession of such
waterway between the Atlantic and
Pacihc oceans would be of enormous
strategic advantage, ii it Should be
necessary to transfer our naval vessels
from ono side OF the country to tho
other. But of tho CHILEAN troubles, tho
secretary said! net word directly.
1t cannot be learned that any oommu-
cations have passed this morning be-
tween the State Department and Minis
ter Egan, nor was Senior Montt, the
Gillian minister, at the departments.
The trouble with Chilli is fast APP
proaching aclimax. Whether it shall
DO war or peace will be known in q very
few days. The attitude of the admins
tration, has not changed u particle.
inc Presidenb Is growing more and
more irritated ovor the delay of Chiliin
answering his demand for an apology
and an indemnity for tho assault upon
the Baltimore's sailors.
For time IL seemed as IL the matter
would be settled through Secretary
Blaine and Minister Montt, but that
hope has gone by The President in
tends TO attend to it himself.
The President and Secretary Tracy
are conducting all the negotiations
through Mr.. Egan. The negotiations
do not seem to negotiate. The Presi-
dent Is simply waiting now to learn
from Minister Egan the result OF his
efforts to induce the CHILEAN government
to withdraw the now famous noto OF ex-
Minister Malta.
The President is very anxious about
this lie sent word to Minister Egan
several days ago directing him to insist
upon its withdrawal. No reply has yet
been received from Mr.. Egan. This de-
lay is regarded by the administration as
strong indication that Chilli is not
disposed to be friendly toward the
United States and does not intend to
make it possible to maintain peace.
cable from Rear Admiral Walker,
at Montevideo. received to-day intensi-
fies the feeling in the Cabinet that the
sooner tho Gillian matter is brought to
head the better. Tho cable was to
Secretary Tracy and proved that the
CHILEAN government is not remaining
idle tho progress Of warlike prepara-
tons in this country. Rear Admiral
Walker informs the Navy Department
that consignment Of 100 Whitehead
torpedoes passed through Montevideo
to-day on their way to Valparaiso. This
plainly indicates what has been inti-
mated in these dispatches heretofore,
that Chilli is making full as active pre-
parations for hostile operations as are
being made in this country.