The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-11-17
THE SPANISH GUNNER
he l. Notoriously incompetent a.
q Marksmen.
Ex-Minister EgaA says That Was
Demonstrates IN the Chikian
Rsvoiution--F0retg Are
Enployed-

Demonstrated in the ChiAian
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Are
Enploysa-
"I do not believe the American navy
will have much to fear from the Span
ish gunners," said Patrick Egan, ex-
minister TO Chilli ''The Spanish gun
ners are notoriously incompetent. 1t
is a fact not generally known that there
is not Spanish ship afioat the engineer
of which is not either Scotchman or
an Irishman. The Spaniards are a
lazy people. They do not take to work
which involves careful attention 10 de-
tails. That is the reasoh why they
have been obliged to secure foreigners
for the position of engineer on their
ships. They could not secure Spaniards
who would give to the machinery of
q warship the careful attention which |
il requires. It is fact that few Of the |
Spanish officers are up to date in the |
science of naval warfare. The men gen.
orally selected for the command OF Span
ish ships are those whose families have
an influence, and these men will not
give themselves up to the hard study
which is necessary to make man a
thoroughly efficient commander.
"a good sample of Spanish gunnery
was furnished by the bombardment Oh
Vina del Mar during the Gillian revolu-
ton. The revolutionists had control OF
the Chilian navy and Balmaceda of the
army. Balmaceda's forces encamped on
the hills of vina del Mar and there they
were attacked by the Spanish squad
ron. For eight hours the firing of the
ships and the batteries on the land
continued. At the conclusion of the en-
papement it was found that not
single shot from the shore batteries had
hit the ships, and not single shot from
the ships had done any injury to either
the men or the works upon the shore.
"The American gunners are reputed
to be the best in the world. Their ac-
curacy of aim was evinced in the bonn
bardment of the works at Matanzas,
which were utterly demolished in about
is minutes. The Spaniards are not so
foolish as to be blinded to the disad'
vantage under which they would labor
In a sea fight with the American fleet,
and do not believe, therefore, that they
have any idea of sending their fleet
into American waters to be destroyed
Asked what he thought OF the atti
: tude of the English government in the
present crisis, Mr.. Egan said:
"In my opinion English friendship i
' more to be feared than Spanish hostil
1 ity. England's policy at this time i
e dictated solely by selfshness. She ma
everything to gain by so dealing wit
:, the United States. That is the sol
e reason why the government has take
d the position it has. The utterances @
d the English press and the sentiment
Y, being publicly proclaimed by Englisi
e. men who are not connected with tn
English administration make it clea
n that the English people, as peopl
N have no more love for the United STATE
j. than they ever had. The attitude of Il
r government, therefore, is statecrat
Of nothing ISre."
Up Mr.. Egan said he thought the peop
IS and the governments of South Ameri
he were friendly to the United States. ~
ne hostile sentiment which was comil
*, from some of the South American cou
n tries emanated, he said, either from Q
ID Spanish families whose sympathy h
ad never been weaned away from the mo-
er country, or from the English a
he German consuls, who were stirring
'ht all the animosity they could for pur'
as commercial purposes.
q Germany's commercial interests
ri South America, Mr.. Egan said, were
II coming immense. The German mai
er' facturers were counterfeiting Ameri'
ing goods and selling them in South Am
ing lean countries at prices for below tn
uts at which the American manufactur
could afford to sell them. AS an
ign stance of this, Mr.. Egan cited the
ms that he had purchased in South'Amel
ex- a revolver alleged to be Of fam
American pattern for $3.50, which
we sold in the United States for seven
the lars. The revolver was an almost
or feet counterfeit of German manu-
OF ture. BY reason of the cheapnes
mes labor in Germany the Germans cC
very turn out goods at much lower pr
ord than the manufacturers of the Un
ould States, and by means of the exten
this counterfeiting of American goods
ould were not only undermining the t
land of the United States in South Anne
d us but also the trade of Great Britai
and st. Louis Globe-Democrat.