Mr. Egan to Mr. Wharton.
Santiago, June 23, 1892. (Received August 1.)
Sir: The present cabinet shows a very earnest desire to cultivate good relations with the Government of the United States and with this legation; and as I intimated in my telegram the minister of foreign [Page 54] relations, Señor don Isidoro Errazuriz, has expressed his strong desire to make with me a prompt and friendly settlement of the Baltimore claims, and has also expressed his willingness to aid in every way in having the other claims considered and finally disposed of. I would suggest that the claim of Patrick Shields, of the steamer Keeweenauw, should be dealt with along with the Baltimore claims, as I have reason to know there is a good disposition to settle that at same time, provided the compensation claimed be not unreasonable.
The long delay that has taken place in relation to the claims arising out of the war between Chile and Peru has entailed great hardships upon many of the claimants, but especially in the cases of Mr. DuBois and some of those whose homes were so wantonly destroyed after the battles of Miraflores and Chorillas. Those claims should, I submit, be pressed to an early settlement.
I have, etc.,