The Washington herald., 1908-03-29
On Board u. s. S. Louisiana,


An act Of international courtesy, un-
precedented in American naval annals at
least, and probably unprecedented in the
worlds history. occurred yesterday in
the harbor of Valparaiso. Chile, when Ad-
miral Evans sailed in and out Of the har-
Dor, saluting the port and then the Presi-
dent of Chile in person. II was d demon
stration which. in not only its immediate
but its fai-F>>.Ssing effects, was worth
probably more than a quarter OF a cen
tury's exchange Of diplomatic notes and
expressions.
Moreover, for sundry reasons which the
intelligent observer OF more or less recent
events can appreciate, there was no bet
ter place on the South American CONT
nent for such a remarkable performance.
Especially gratifying 10 Admiral Evans
We're the cordial messages Of thanks and
esteem he received by wireless. The last
time he sailed away from Valpa.a also
kind words did not follow him. Thus
does time and marked advance in naval
power work wonders IN International az
fairs.
The yreatest honors that the feet Of any
nation could pay 10 the head Of another
nation were paid 10 President Montt.
They were precisely such as the fleet paid
10 President Roosevelt on the departure
from Hampton Roads. They differed only
in their setting. The flag Of another re-
public was at the main. Three times as
many people witnessed the spectacle in
/ Valparaiso as observed IL in Hampton
Roads The saluting was in a foreign
port. girt about with lofty hills instead
of the low-lying and far-distant shores Of
i Chesapeake Bay. Elaborately dressed
shipping Aying the flags OF half dozen
nations added color TO the scheme.
City in Holiday Attire.
! A great city terraced UP the mountain
sides made holiday to gaze. first IN ST.
lence and then with cheers, at an armada
which meant not conquest. but a visible
message Of safety from conquest by EU-
ropean powers, and an assurance that not
only Chile but every other power in
South or Central America. could pursue
/ the path OF commercial and intellectual
development secure from the envy and
/ avarice OF other parts Of the world. EX-
/ hib.ting that fleet TO Chile was Ike show
ing her paid-up. intermInable insurance
policy Of peace. made out IN the name Of
]
responses it ELECTED. Chile liked the way
the policy read.
| Few harbors in the world are better
/ adapted for such a scene. There is no
I deep bay, no narrow channel to choke the
entrance. The harbOr is simply an open
| roadstead OF the Pacific. All that Ad-
miral Evans had to do was turn 20 one
side sweep along the city front just out
SIDE the line OF moored shipping. and
pass on He was on the broad swells OF
I the Pacific again within an hour from the
/ time he had turned inshore. II was an
/ hour OF education for Chile. with a lesson
! In i that otherwise she could not learn
In years, and at its conclusion there was
such genuine note Of appreciation in
| the exchange Of farewells thar any stu
dent Of the forces that work for good or
evil in international affairs must have
been glad that the courtesy call was
made
Admiral Evans CongratulatiOns
One also could understand somewhat
the feelings OF Admiral Evans who after
il was all over sent this characteristic
Evans message TO the fleet in words that
| every man on every ship understood thor
oughly;
The commander r-in-chlef thanks the
officers and men ot tie fleet for the hand
|
II was handsome and il was stirring
OF course, the word trick was used by
the admiral only n q colloquiaI sense;
there was no trick about II, for it was
I simply going a little out OF the way TO be
nice and decent 10 a people who for many
years had mistrusted US. and had said
things. too But what is the use OF being
big nation II you can't be big-hearted
with il and show that you don't hold re-
sentiment? A thousand TO one that Chile's
sincere friendship viii be ours for many.
many years 10 come.
The Unusual in the Cruise.
Unusual as this cruise is, II is the un-
usual and unexpected that have come
out from it as its salient features. The
profound indifference of the people Of
Trinidad 10 the feet was unusual and
something of a bump The exuberant
welcome and unrestrained hospitality Of
Brazil was unusual The salutes TO the
flags exchanged between the fleets OF Ar
gentina and the United States on the
high seas were unusual The dispatch OF
2 cruiser on the part Of Chile TO its most
remote port and carrying our Minister
was unusual The vice admiral salutes
given all along the line TO Admiral Evans,
whether by accident or design, were un-
usual Having a war ship escort the
fleet through almost the entire length of
its coast line, as Chile did, was unusual
Lastly, the departure from an established
programme 10 run into the greatest har-
Dor of another nation 10 fire salutes 10 its
flag and President was unusual
1t is hard to conjecture what there may
be unusual in. the future for the fleet. but
IfDrs, =
come.
The Run from Magellan.
From the moment that the fleet headed
out into the Pacific from the Straits of
Magellan, in company with the flagship
Chacabuco carrying the flag Of Admiral
Simpson, Of the Chilean navy. there was
much speculation as to the kind of recep-
ton it would receive in Valparaiso. The
great cordiality shown by Admiral Simp-
son and the Chilean authorities in Punta
Arenas bespoke the warnest kind of a
welcome. But speculation still continued.
and, indeed. there was little else to do. for
fog settled upon the waters. which, add
ed to the turbulent conditions Of the Pa
cifc, made the trip for several days one
OF comparative gloom. Occasionally the
fog would lift and you could catch a
glimpse OF some OF the other divisions OF
the feet. Once after nearly twenty-four
hours 1t vanished completely. and there
was a genuine ring of satisfaction over
the sight il must have presented 10 the
Chacabuco far OF to the westward, for
there was the entire American feet ex-
actly In position, sailing precisely as If
there had been no fog 20 hide the ships
from one another.
hat
Chilean admiral thinks OF that?' was