Eureka Daily Sentinel

SOUTH AMERICAN TAPS.
The Times, in an editorial, on the recent intimation that the Argentine Republic is apparently on the point of throwing her sword into the scale of the allies, while Chili prepares for the stroke by calling 50,000 men to her flag, says: Chili's quarrel with the La Plata Republic is far older than the one with Bolivia, and threatened war years ago. Its subject is the ownership of Patagonia. Both nations found themselves studying the question of what their actual possessory rights in Patagonia were at the time of throwing off the Spanish yoke. They differed totally in the results of their investigations, and talked of a resort to blows as a means of settlement. The matter has since remained in statu quo, but the Argentine Government has been jealous of Chili's military and naval powers. It recognizes that the time to intervene for the settlement of all questions affecting its autonomy is now or never. The first effect of this intervention would be to restore the naval strength of the allies. It is said that the Argentine Republic has already bought the Roma and Venezia. The story, doubtless, gains credence from the natural friendliness of Italy toward the Italian people on the La Plata. The Roma and Venezia are ranked on the new Italian list in the highest class of Italy's iron clads. They are sister ships, 250 feet long, costing $1,150,000 each, carrying six 18-ton and two 12-ton Armstrongs. Even the present navy of the Argentine Republic is by no means contemptible, although probably inferior to that of Chili. It includes half a dozen iron-clads, two of which are English built, turret vessels, 188 by 44 feet, and each carrying two 300-pound Armstrongs. The other four iron-clads, also English built, are smaller, and there are several additional vessels in the Argentine navy, some of iron and wood.