New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-17
REPRESENTATIVE CALL on MR. BLAINE.
AFFAIRS COMMITTEEMAN REPORTED
OHILIAN WAR PREPARATIONS.

Wa,hneton Jan 16-Five OF the members Of the
House Committee Foreign Affairs called nj the De
parment Of state Just before noon to day to pay their
re poets 10 Secretary Blaine This visit waN IN pur-
susncc OF a long estahH.hc custom whereby at the
beginning Of each Congress the Committee Of the House
which has 10 do with foreign relations calls upon The
secretary Of state Usually these visits are purely
formal and particularly Is this tru" when th" majority
% the House (, politically opposed 70 the SECRETARY
liu the call made by the committee today was awaited
with interest II expected that the strained re
atons between th, country aud Chill would be touched
upon by the secretary.
Tie five members Of the committee were Chairman
Iumint and Me,sr,. Hooker Geary. O'Donncl and
Ilagmcr. and according to their statements Hecr'-
tary Blaine did nof make sIns" direct
allu,ion to this country'S relations with Cmn.
70 the surprise ~ the committee ne did call their
attention 10 the necessity for spccdy action by Con
gress upon the Nicaragua Canal project. The See
rcary was fully equipped with facts and h-urN to
supnrt hi, reasoning and described tie political i'm
portance Of the canal. the volume Of trallc which
wonld probably pas through II, and the advantages to
accrue from a retention Of its management ana con
troll I'm American hands. incidentally IL was made
clear 10 the committee that the possession ol Such Il
waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
would b, of cnorno.s Strategic advantage il 1t should
be- necessary transfer Naval vessels from one
side Of the country to the other
Bat OF Ch,i;.n troubles the secretary said not
word directly 1t cannot be learned thit any COZ"
municaton- have passed between the State Department
and Minister Esan, ror was senor Montt the 'hin"h
Minister. at The Department
The reported preparations Of the Gillian Government
for war. though lacking official confirmation in all
dca Is as vet are viewed with deep concern at the Navy
Department. The reported shipment OF torpeNo's
through Montevdeo to Chill has had the effect OF warn
ng the Naval officers that in case Of war tnsS "i'
be met by q foe armed with the best moderh "o'iP
ons. Other unmisakablc preparations are u oe ais
ccrncd 1t is said. such a. the reported dlspa''"S VI
a feet of three cruisers and a torpedo boat rom q"
para,o under sealed orders. which was reported from
chill through private YESTERDAY 1t i th' pre-
yang opinion at the Navy Department that th'- hec' Is
hound for the Straits OF Magellan which may DC c5'ru
ed TO "a certain extent the gateway to 'hlh' \ 'o"
para;ively small number of well armed N''''''' hu
vnntagco,Isly placed In these straits 'o""' J" "'e
opinion of nava. eXpert,. hold them against "'7'
heet. To be sure this would not necessarily prevent
the ultimate rounding oi cape lorn bN IN \merl''h
squadron bound f0r chin, - two da' N'a''nH 80
most would carry the ships INFO the PIcihc py an
outside route.
rhc theory is however. that ii i, TIE desire OF
the GILLIAN Governmcnt 10 alIord ample plO''c'h u
it, Import and coal and supply station ~ fof"'
CaLcilo in the straits. The capture % im' N"'uo'
would be q serious blow to Chlli. ard might uIh''N
be- uod. an object OF a campaign in the southern |
waters III case OF Ho@tiill'9' - ~ -
YES cls--iIpp0,ng the strait, to be- Their de'uauoh-
can easily reach that point before Admiral Walker |
WIN +, nov, ot Montevidc0 with tho Chicago Atlanta |
aud Iiennington Tic Concord Is also on her way TO
Nnntevidoo Other vessels are rtatoned on the |
Pacific a, follows: the Yorktown at Valparaiso the
Io,ton At Cnuao Perm: the Charleston ana hlh |
rr,nci.co ,t san Diego. and the Baltimore az san |
Francisco BESIDES these new >hif' thefe are iAe |
Essex and Yantlc at Mone'deo'
Dicent inquiry at the War Department iatl' to |
disclose any warlike preparations on we part ol thc
,ruv Mo-, are al work the iOIUhcdu0n' around |
SAN Fr,nrisco: but thi, wirk wa, begun ",t HpIIiF
before there were any 'uIstst'o,S VI W"n WIN
'hili THE Golden cate Is defended by several 10
inch puu, which. though sinoothboitN, nrc Eet lol
mldablc weapons. with charge oi, l',V Poulu' u
nnvde" nn, of them will throw proJectlle weighing
80 ponnds a distance Of nearly four mics. III LOW
ynrdt-tLe usual naval fighting dl,tance-tniN heavy
hot will penetrate ten inchcS ol arm " aHu W,
hilians have n, vet no vessel that could Withstand
such prOjcciil",. . a., ,,o. oil t,o ,ro,,in7
scenr members OF Congress ana other callers lH'
<avv Dnnartmcnt was In constant tcleSIaph'o com
with the Navy bauH iliu N',Nal s'at2iA y
~ .an % pnier1 Cal Jan. l6.-Admral Brown was
,,erv,oued as nIght for his opinion az 10 the report
hat a vessel had been charter,u Dy the "oVerhHeIt
% take a cargo Of coal from NtualiV 10 mn, Ilo
aid he did moi believe wor, Oh II tha lhc 'o.rIh
,ent vonid NOT take coal there except under stress
y Ne can vet all the coal we want at Acapulco ana
, peru he said and il Is absuid to think the
iovernm.nt = would go up to Nanaimo.' .,.
With reference to the pronaoic iure @ . t hs
r. sTSsis; ny SsSs eisT.ssa a. :s .ss s