Mr. Egan to Mr. Blaine.
Santiago, June 3, 1891. (Received July 16.)
Sir: On yesterday I had the honor to receive your telegram requesting me to make a full report of the situation, to which I replied by telegraph this morning.
Since the abandonment of Antofagasta by the Government forces, referred to in my No. 147, of 31st March, there has been no encounter between the forces on land, and the only occurrence of importance on sea has been the sinking of the revolutionary ironclad Blanco Encalada in the Bay of Caldera on the morning of the 23d of April by the Government torpedo-catchers Almirante Lynch and Almirante Condel, with the loss of about 180 of the officers and crew of the Blanco. This occurrence has, I presume, been fully reported upon by Admiral McCann for the information of the Department of the Navy. The troops that retired from Antofagasta, about 2,400, including officers and men, under command of Col. Camus, found that at Calama they were cut off by the deserts of Antofagasta and Atacama from the main body of Government forces, while exit by the sea was barred by the revolutionary fleet. They therefore retired into Bolivia, passed through that country and through the Argentine Republic, sending their arms in advance, and after a journey of over 2,400 miles, across mountains and deserts, partly by rail, but chiefly on foot, came across the Andes Mountains, by way of Mendoza, and arrived in Santiago on the 24th May.
Another division of 700 men stationed at Arica and Tacna in the north, under command of Gen. Arrate, finding itself cut off in like manner, rather than surrender to the revolutionists, retired into Peru, and is now interned in that country. A third body, chiefly of cavalry, under Col. Stefan, being isolated at Copiapo, also retired into Bolivia, and is at present on its return across the Andes, enduring great hardships.
Those three cases are considered as indisputable proofs of the loyalty of the army to the Government.
The Government has now a well-organized and well-equipped army of 30,000 regular soldiers and an armed and highly disciplined police force of nearly 10,000 men; together about 40,000 men under arms. It has the two torpedo-catchers Lynch and Condel, which have already done such deadly execution on the Blanco Encalada, the fast transport Imperial, which has continuously carried troops and stores along the coast in despite of the entire revolutionary fleet, and it has some ten effective torpedo launches for service in the harbors. It is also expecting the arrival of two new fast protected cruisers now about completed for it in France.
In all of the country from Coquimbo to the Straits of Magellan the Government is supreme, and while there is much discontent, chiefly among the wealthy families, there is no disorder of any kind.
The Congress, which met here on 20th April, continues its proceedings in the ordinary way and in entire harmony with the executive power. The Government claims to have ample resources at its disposal for all contingencies, and it feels entirely confident of success.
The revolutionists occupy all the way from Huasco northward; but, as the territory is entirely sterile, they have to rely upon importation for everything they consume, and in some of the smaller ports even the water supply is brought in by ships. The result is that everything in the way of food supplies is extremely dear and much distress prevails [Page 134] among the workers and their families, and consequently much discontent.
The number of men actually enrolled in the revolutionary army does not, so far as I can learn, exceed 6,000, of which the majority are poorly armed and without uniforms. The revolutionary leaders in the north and here claim to have an army of from 12,000 to 15,000 men, but from information recently brought down by the English fleet I learn that this calculation is based upon lists of names enrolled largely through the influence of superintendents and others connected with the nitrate oficinas in Tarapacá, and that, while those names make an important display on paper, the owners of them continue their labors in the nitrate fields and have never actually joined the army.
The Junta or provisional government in Iquique is in receipt of a substantial income from duties on nitrate shipments, probably amounting at present to $1,000,000 per month. It has also the fleet, consisting of two ironclads, the Huascar and Cochrane, three wooden vessels, the O’Higgins, Magellanes, and Abtao, and one cruiser, the Esmeralda, together with four or five transports taken from the Chilean Steamship Company. The only one of these that can make fast speed is the Esmeralda, which, in good repair, can steam about 15 knots per hour.
According to official statistics, published in February of this year, the total population of Chile is about 3,256,000 persons. Of those the the four provinces occupied by the revolutionists (Atacama, Antofagasta, Tarapacá, and Tacna) contain 180,800 persons,-including over 58,000 foreigners, while the twenty provinces controlled by the Government contain the balance of 3,075,000 people.
The leaders of the opposition seem to feel much confidence in the ultimate success of their cause, but on the whole their prospects, viewed from a disinterested standpoint, do not look very promising. Under date of 25th of May Admiral McCann, writing me from Iquique, says:
My impression has been for some time that the success of the revolutionary party is about hopeless, and these impressions are somewhat strengthened by an admission made by Capt. Montt that ne placed no reliance upon disloyalty to the Government of the troops in the southern provinces.
The belief in the disloyalty of the army has been all along the main hope and reliance of the revolutionists. It will be seen from my letters on this subject that I have never had any faith in this supposed disaffection, and the recent action of the troops under Gen. Arrate and Cols. Camus and Stefan, in facing terrible hardships and dangers rather than go over to the revolutionists, by whom they would have been received with open arms, afford strong confirmation of the opinions which I expressed.
The newspapers in the United States and England have been publishing ridiculous fabrications and exaggerations regarding the progress of the campaign and on the general situation here. I have read of wholesale butcheries of the wounded and prisoners by the revolutionists and of wholesale executions by order of the President, all of which were willful exaggerations. Col. Robles and some of the wounded officers of the Government were bayoneted after the battle of Pazoalmonte in retaliation because Col. Robles had ordered to be shot the leaders of a mob of nitrate-workers, but with this exception I have not learned of any departures from the laws of civilized warfare. On the Government side I only know of six cases of capital punishment: two in the case of sergeants who were convicted of endeavoring to promote a mutiny among their men and of four men who were intrusted with the duty [Page 135] of patrolling the harbor of Valparaiso and who deserted, taking away with them a Government torpedo launch. In all other cases where the death sentence was passed by military tribunals, the President promptly intervened with an extension of clemency. I have also read sensational accounts of naval combats at Valparaiso and other places, as well as of military operations, which were pure fabrications.
The present indications are that this unhappy struggle may last for some months to come.
I have, etc.,