The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-14
OUR BATTLEsAlps.
The Treatment Received in South Amefi-
can Ports.

Now that the circuit of the continent of
South America has been well nigh COM
pleted by the special squadron, it is pos
sible to give some idea of the effect of the
war upon the standing of our people, and
especially of our navy, among the Span
ish-Amerioans.
In Brazil the reception of the ships was
mere than cordial, and our diplomatic
and consular representatives won the
hearts and admiration of all by their eff
fectual manner of showing their full APP
probation of the work of the navy. sAt
Montevideo it was unfortunately neces-
Sary to anchor the ships so far out
seven miles-that for several days only
the hardest and most determined of
sIghtseers braved wind and sea to visit
them. Then, when they did come many
had peculiarly furttVe bearing as II
they half expected at any moment to be
held to account for their lately expressed
and unfriendly remarks. This feeling,
however, quickly passed, the visitors day
after day steadily increased in numbers,
in spite of bad weather, and the more in
terested began taking notes. Apparently
they did not believe everything they saw,
: even expecting to be fooled by wooden
imitation or hollow armor. Where they
had obtained this idea of Yankee guile no
one could tell, but metal-headed canes
passed from hand to hand, and were in
great request for sounding everything that
looked like armor. Others slyly attempted
4 to pierce the 3-inch barbettes leach plate
of which weighs "a tons) with their pocket
knives, looked wise and passed on. One
Z gentleman waved his cane airily at a
heavy turret: They're hollow and only
/ for show said he in Spanish. Later
some enthusiastic friend must have con-
winged him of his error, for he was seen
excitedly measuring, the thickness of the
turret walls through, a gun port-armor,
backing, framework and all-and so i'm
pressed was he with the result that he cut
a notch in his handsome walking stick to
SHOW the doubling Thomases at home the
thickness of the American armor.
In Chill 1t was somewhat different. This
ship had many friends at Sandy Point,
where she had coaled last April on the
famous race to Santiago, and all who had
seen her then now claimed interest and
4 even shared in her history. They hurried
in honor of the visiting ships, and in every
way showed hospitality and good feeling.
At Valparaiso, too, where there had been
many believers in the superiority of the
o. Higgins to either or both of our battle
SHIPS, there was revulSion of feeling and
great friendliness. 1t is not generally
known outside Of the navy that prior to
the Baltimore affair there was hardly a
foreign port in the world where American
naval officers had more and closer friends
among the best people than In Valparaiso
and Santiago, Chilli.
Many of the Chilians were unable to rid
themselves of their surprise at the sight
of the battleships. Their own ships were
moored in two lines, and when the Oregon
anchored at the head of one and the Iowa
at the head OF the other, 1t seemed as il
they alone,in their unoFnamented massive
simplicity, were built for hard and endur-
ing work. They looked in fact like ugly
mastiffs leading lines of handsome span
lels; for the CHILEAN ships are handsome
and kept in beautiful condition. They are
and officers who had the opportunity OF
critically. inspecting their engine rooms
declare that they also are In splendid con-
dition. AS they lay great stress on target
practice, and have batteries of the latest
type, 1t may be asserted positively that
the CHILEAN navy Is one of the most eff
ticient in the world. as it is also the
largest for the population OF its country
In Peru, while there are many friends oil
Spain, the predominant feeling has al
ways been most friendly toward the
United States, and it was there that the
squadron met the first exhibition of Gu
ban appreciation of its services in lib
Grating the island. For in December (the
2Sth) delegation of Cuban residents OF
Lima and Callao presented both the Ore
gon and the Iowa with gold memorial
tablets. These tablets were about five
inches by two and one-half in size. an6
were enclosed in handsome cases. On the
faces were engraved: Presented to the
officers and crew of the United States
battleship Oregon Tor Iowa) in common.
Grafton of the battle of Santiago de Cuba
on July 5. 1898, by the Cuban residents OF
Lima and Callao, Peru" On the backs
were engraved the names of the subscrib
ers.-Lieut. A. A. Alderman of the Oregon
in Golfers Weekly