Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1891 — CHILI AND UNCLE SAM. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHILI AND UNCLE SAM.

ORIGIN OF THE HOSTILE SPIRIT TO THE UNITED STATES. Strength of the Two Naval Fleets-Dls-ad vantages Under Which Out Own Government Would Fight— Possibilities or Outside Help for Chlll-Our Commerce Would Suffer. The Whole Story. The Chilian difficulty has assumed A serious phase, and l'entente cordiale

threatens to bo ruptured at any moment. If our arrogant sister republic continues to refuse reparation for ohc murder of American sailors, it will 1 become the duty of Uncle Sam to teach her a lesson. The

State Department may have acted wjth promptness and vigor, but the Question arises, What are we “going to do about it?” The unfortunate affair which is the Immediate cause of the threatened trouble occurred in the streets of Valparaiso on Oct. 10. A party of sailors from the United States cruiser Baltimore, which lies at anchor in that harbor, were attacked by a mob while on shore. The Chilians were aimed with knives and pistols, while the American sailors were unarmed, as became men whose present acts and Intentions were peaceable, in the fight Charles Iliggin, a boatswain's mate, was dragged from a street car by a mob and shot to death. Five other men were dangerously wounded with knives and bayonets. One was wounded so severely that he afterward died. Thirty-five other sailors were arrested by main force, dragged through the streets of the city and locked up. There can he no doubt that the attack was the result of the hatred of Americans and the United States that has been growing afresh among the Chilian populace ever since the tide of affairs in the civil war turned against Balmaceda. It is apparent now from the proportions which this feeling has attained that its spread had not been measured by any one in

the United States. It is this feeling that gives the affair a national import. There can be no doubt that the very proper refusal of our Government to recognize the belligerents when their forces were arrayed against Balmaceda was the immediate well spring of this feeling, and no

doubt, too, there were man}' smaller things that contributed toward the result. Perhaps the Chilians did not understand the motives that guided the course of the United States. It is certain that their anger was causelessly aroused to a high pitch when the false report was spread about that Balmaceda had taken passage to the United States on the United States steamer San Francisco, the flagship of Bear Admiral Brown, who commanded our squadron in Chilian waters. Again, the impression obtained among Chilians, with equal lack of real basis, that our flag in Chili gave improper protection to the members of Balmaceda’s party against the justice or the vengeance of the Junta. So the Junta came into power with feelings of mistrust toward the great republic and of ill-will toward its citizens and traders resident in Chili. This, however, can not be considered an excuse for Chili’s course in regard to the outrage upon our unarmed sailors. The attack on our sailors was followed by a demand for an explanation by the United States Minister. The reply of the Junta was expressed in strong language. It practically amounted to a refusal to accept responsibility for the affair-and assigned i the matter to the civil channels of >, decision and adjudication. The tone of the reply was a great surprise to this country. At the same time the Intendente

____T - ‘ , 01 Valparaiso refused to guarantee the safety of market boats coming to that city, early In the morning from tbeCaited States warship Baltimore, or the safiJty of the officer# of that

vessel coming ashore at night. This amounts to a practical boycott on the Baltimore, and none of its sailors are allowed on shore. It became apparent, when the reply of the Junta was received, that even in the State Department at Washington the feeling

that a peaceful settlement would be obtained by Chili doing all that was asked of her was changed. Uncle Sam began to look about to see what he could do in a fight if war should be declared. But, in addition to the immediate

causes as named above, the hostility of Chili to the United States is of long date, and has been greatly fostered by the intimate relations of the little nation with Europe. More than seventy years ago American merchants, and sailors had bitter reason to complain of Chilian barbarity, and in these later years a thinly veiled hatred of Americans and all their institutions has been conspicuous in Chili. The steady inflow of foreigners of wealth and talent has led Chili to believe that it is the center of the world, and that all other nations are provincial. The arrogance and presumption of a native Chilian, even when he is a man of cultivation, must be seen to be appreciated. As for the United States, Chili firmly believes that she could annihilate that nation of boasters in a fortnight, and has more than once seriously discussed the project of taking San Francisco. The aggressive spirit of Chili has been greatly fostered by England, and she found it to her interest to encourage the building of a strong Chilian navy. She furnished engineers for it. gave it a practical schooling, and it came generally to be understood that Chili was an outpost of England in the Pacific, and that the Chilian policy was certain to ho dia-

metrically opposed to anything favored by the United States. As Chili (although a tiny nation of only two millions in 1865) waxed strong she began to look about her for an extension of territory, and nat-

urally the excellent navy which she had been enabled to build came into play. Trouble arose between Chili and her next neighbor, Bolivia, about the nitrate beds and guano deposits which had attracted foreign capitalists in swarms. The mines were in Bolivia, hut Chilian capitalists, operating, doubtless, for foreigners, were working them under treaty stipulations. Bolivia imposed export duties on the nitrates. Peru was supposed by the Chilians to have instigated this action, with a view to suppressing the competition of Chili in the nitrate and guano trade, which in Peru was an immensely profitable Government monopoly. Chili’s protest against the export duty was listened to, but shortly afterward the Bolivians confiscated the Chilian mine property, and war was imminent. Arbitration was proposed, but fell through, and Chili went to war with Peru and Bolivia, and whipped them both. The little nation crowed so loudly that she was heard in Europe, and England gave her much praise. It was in connection with tne settlement of the peace between Chili and the beaten countries that the United States first got a revelation of Chili’s aggressiveness and ugly spirit of opposition to everything favored by Uncle Sam. This country has witnessed with regret the demolition of Peru and dismemberment of Bolivia. In the first country there were important American interests to be protected. Furthermore,- the American Government was not disposed to see Chili, which was little else than an oligarchy, republican only in name, assuming dictation in South America, with John Bull looking over her shoulder. The decided discouragement shown by this Government to the schemes

of territorial aggrandizement set foßth by Chili brought Chilian hatred of this country to white heat. Wc admitted Chili’s right to a war indemnity, but not to annihilate her late enemies. During the ten years since 1381,

Chili has grown more ana more aggressive, and had it not been for her internal troubles would already have tried some coup to diminish the gradually reviving influence of this country in South America. The vainglorious dream of Chili is that if she could draw the country into a fight, she could quickly worst her In a naval encounter. She would then, during the negotiations for peace, demand a foreign protectorate, would throw herself into the arms of England and Germany, and would thereafter be free to operate as she pleased against the policy of the United States in South America. Thus those nations which have most interest in checking the development of our policy would gain their point,

without making open war on our trade. It is natural that the Congressionalists should feel somewhat bumptious just now, and at this moment they are ready to fight the United States rather than to admit that killing and wounding American sailors is an offense which must be apologized for. This party will have abundant moral support form those European powers anxious to see the United States get a substantial set-back in South America. The active army of Chili comprises in normal times 940 officers and 0,071 men. The ‘National Guard, which can readily be put into the field, comprises 42,120 infantry and 8,970 artillery, so that Chili can easily put 00,000 troops into the field. As Chili would depend almost entirely on her navy in case of a fight, a comparison of her naval force with that of our own may be of interest. CHILIAN VKBSELS. BATiLE SHIPS. Ton 3. Knots. Capitan Prat h.wo 20 Almirante Cochrane 2,500 13 Huascar 1,800 15 AliMO ED CBCISERB. Presidents Errazurlz 2,1’50 19 Presidents Hnto 2,089 19 Eemtralda B,O'JU 20 TORPEDO CRL’BEIt . Almirante CondeU 759 20 Almirante Lynch 750 20 ooiivet.Es. Abtao 1,050 10 Chacabuco 1.100 ]1 Magellanes a k) 12 O’Higgins * 1,100 10 Pilcoinayo ooj 11 OTHER BOATS. Amazonas ......Dispatch boat Gunboats, five of Torpedo boats, eleven of , " 90 Torpedo boats, two of [ 59 UNITED STATES VESSELS TURRET BATILE SHIP. . . Tons. Knots. Miantonomah 3,990 10 PBOTEUIED CRULSERS. Philadelphia 4.324 jgai San Francisco 4,083 20 Baltimore 4.000 19 is Newark 4.083 is

i harleston 4,04fc 18 Chicago 4,50 r 14 Atlanta. 3.181 154$ Boston 3139 15}j GUXB >AT3. Yorktown i joj 17 Petrel ........ ..>.... 1.700 IK Concord 1 703 17)* Bennington.;.: j.TCO 17V, Dolphin i 1,485 15)* dynamite cruiser. Vesuvius. ~y...-. 725 21)j TORPEDO BOAT. Cuthing no 22)6 The San Francisco has been ordered

to San Fraricieco from Callao, Peru. She 'Will be clocked and repaired.,,The Charleston Is In Chinese waters. . Tfoe

Boston and Yorktown are on their way to Chili. The Petrel is expected to sail for the Chinese station In a few days. Were a war declared it must be an aggressive one. The United States would be forced to carry hostilities into the enemy’s territory, and Chili would act solely on the defensive. The latter is a simpler method of warfare, and one in which an inferior force can successfully cope with a superior one. So it is not to be presumed that the United States government, would have an easy time in carrying war into Chilian territory. The task of conquest would not be an easy one. although there can be no doubt as to the ultimate result. Chilian torpedo boats are so numerous that a hostile squadron would have a hard time, indeed, to keep up a blockade along the coast. The United States would be at a great disadvantage, too, in supplying its ships with coal in the event of war. A naval officer says that each ship would have to be accompanied by a collier and take coal from it at sea—a difficult operation, which could scarcely be performed except in good weather. In case of trouble the destruction to our commercial interests which a well-manipulated Chilian navy could cause can scarcely be estimated. On the Pacific coast the United States

has 843 sailing vessels, representing 238,628.61 tons, and 531 steam vessels representing 183,779.96 tons. On the Atlantic coast there are 13,049

sailing vessels, representing over 1,542,118.70 tons, and 2,800 steam vessels, representing 817,108 tons. That is a total of 17,243 vessels of all descriptions, with a total tonnage «f 2,781,646, all engaged in the coast trade. The tonnage engaged in foreign trade is about 715,908 tons. A fine Chilian cruiser, like the Esmeralda, could have great sport, no doubt, in operating on this commerce.

PRESIDENT MONTT.

THE CHILIAN HOUSE OF CONGRESS AT SANTIAGO.

THE BALTIMORE, NOW IN CHILIAN WATERS.

CAPT. W. S. SON?EY NOW IN COMMAND OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL FORCES ON THE CHILIAN COAST.

MURDER OF AMERICAN SEAMEN BY THE CHILIAN MOB.

CHILIAN TORPEDO-BOAT ALMIRANTE LYNCH.

U. S. CRUISER SAN FRANCISCO.

THE CHILIAN BATTLE-SHIP HUASCAR.

THE YORKTOWN, ON HER WAY TO CHILI.

HARBOR Of VALPARAISO, THE CAPITAL OP CHILI, ON WHOSE STREETS THE AMERICA SAILORS WERE MURDERED.

THE CHILIAN CRUISER ESMERALDA.