The morning call., 1892-01-20
MUST WE GO 30 WAR?

The Chilean situation remains about the
sauz: tile Government AT Washington is
TRYING n avoid the necessity Of giving Chile
atnra-I ing. and Chile is bent On battling its
vef-mp8nt efforts Nobody in this country
wants war with Chile. Every body would
a- pleased 90 hear that she lad made the
rarara-.on which the case calls for We
lara ua eumlty 10 Chile, 10 desire except TO
see r prosper, and grow In population and
wealth We are all ready TO make the
largest allowance for the embaTrassments
I'm which the Jun'a finds Itself. We quite
understand that the infamous outrage of De-
t0ber vasthe work ola b3rbarOUs 10, aided
and abetted by an equally barbarous police,
and that it is condemned by the intelligent
mruhers Of the Chilean nation. But those
intelligent ChileaUs must realize that their
Government is putting on Us q pressure
greater than We can bear; thar the equiyocR-
ton of the Valparaiso court, and the dis
patch Of Senior Matta-which, though it has
been withdrawn, remains as the expression
cI his opinion when it was wTitten-seem
really designed 70 goad US into the reluctant
adoption If summary measures.
What is the meaning Of the dispatch Of
Chilean men-of-war to the south? They
are intended either to blockade the Strait Of
Magellan. or designed 30 act as a coast guard
for tie southern coal mines. In either case
their departure Is a hostile overture, a
menace to this country. It is a sort Of
challenge, which we are free to take up OF
not. rs we please. Is it in the light Of steps
Of this kind that the delicate relations be-
tween Chile and the United States are to be
considered and readjueted?
81
paraiso are SO far from the ceuteUs Of in
tell gerce that their people look gayIy on the
prospect Of arupture with the United States.
As d mass-meetiug in a country village is
always ready TO set the National Govern
ment at defaucs when its blood gets up,
so these half.eGucated dwelleTs on a strip
Of coast On the South Pacific have no ap-
preheusi0ns of the result if they provoke
the United States 70 draw the sword. They
whipped Peru and they whipped Bolivia;
it is but a short further step. they believe,
to whip the United States. They have been
told that they can lombard San Francisco.
aud hold it to ransom; that they can sink
our new ships and blow Up our ironclads
with torpedoes; that they can oyerrun Call
f0rnia as they oyerTan Tarapaca. What
is to be done with such besOtted Tabble as
that? They may drive Us to such extremities
that we may have no choice but to 90 to war
with them.
II that sad contingency should arise,
which heaven forefend, it would deYolve
upon the United States to give Chile such
a lesson that no other South American
nation would hereafter get US into such a
corner. The Government at Washington
would be compelled, for its own sel!-Inter-
est 10 cure the South Americans, once and
forever Of the appetite for quarrel with Us.
The plan Of campaign would be simple.
As the mob Of Valparaiso provoked the
war; chastisement should be Inflicted on
that mob. 1t would be necessary to land
an army large enough 70 occupy the city,
and TO teach the NalpaTaisans that war is
not play, and that the lives Of American
sailors cannot be taken without reprlsals.
The more severe the lesson, the better it
would be remembered. An alliance with
Peru would naturally form part Of the plan
Of campaign. That republic, which we
never should have allowed Chile to dis
member would be assisted 10 recover all
the territory she lost 10 1883, and new
frontier lines drawn to protect Peru from
invasion hereafter. 1t is our interest that
there should be at least two independent
powers on the west coast Of South America
TO eounteTbalance each other and prevent
the wild exnberance Of vision of conquest
hereafter Finally, the expenses of the
war could be taken out of the s33, DOC, 900 or
So, 100000 which Chile now realizes every
year from the exploitation Of the nitrate
beds.
It's a case for the revival Of the old lingo
d0ggeTel:
We don't want to fight
But, by lingo! II we do,
We've GOT the men,
We've got the guns
Nova COR fhe nancy foof