, 1879-08-05
CHILI---BOLIVIA-..PERU.


4 o
Origin Of tho War.
The addres. Of the rtcsideat Of Chill, Don
Anibal Pinto, At the recruit opening Of the M
ttonal Congress, explains the causes wE,lrh led
to the war between Chill aud Bolivia and Peru
anl places the b1ame md responsibility Of the
conflict squarely upon the shoulders Of Bolivia
He said: "Thc Congress- Of Bolivia enacted in
the month OF February. 1878, lnw imposing
upon the export 0! nitrate In the Port OF Auto
faEasta duty OF 10 cents quiutal 100
pound6), mud infringed, In so doing, the treaty
with Chill agreed upon OIL The eth Of August,
1874. Our diplomatic representative In In Paz
ca!lod ti,e attention at the Bolivian Government
to thu infrnction Of t.iat Convention; and. tho
Justice OF TINT clatm being accepted, the crccu.
tion Of the law WAS Rtunpetl. In December,
1878, thc Government Of Bolivia rttnlp posed ttis
tsx, nEatnst The rculnnstranc es Of our repre-
sentative. 1l,"sc proceedings would have fulir
authorized Chill to retaliatc, but our Legation
at La Paz proposed TO ulc bolivian Government,
that the decision OF the natter should 6e sub.
mttcd to arbitration. lnstcal Of accepting our
prupostion. bolivia ordered the seizure Of the
cstase belonging to tho Gillian Nitrate Cumpa.
uy OF Antofagasta.
1aYo saw thnt oilr Efforts to prevent rupture
In tho friendly relations ot both Governments
were futile. Consequently, diy!siun OF utlr
army WIS ordered 70 occupy the territory be-
tween the t~cnty-thlrd arti twrnty-fuurth de-
Erecs. Our claims aud pcaceable propositions
not having obtained any attention from the
Bolivfau Government, VIC tc1t confident fu osr
right, according to international lnw. 10 use tho
forCe Of arms. and LII pur case we find also ustt
flying reasons OF s2ecfal character. Cnili'ha
occupied that same territory up to 1856, whcu
gesston Of Il was made to BoIiyta according to an
international treaty. ln thu mouth Of August,
1874, and in consequence Of the difficulties
caused By the Bolivian Government, HoliYia
bound herself not To tar the ChInns nor their
properties; consequently. tue infringement Of
the agreement Of 1874 affected lu :h1 same way
that OF 1865. and the matter vas 70 be consider.
ed IA Rntctatng thu trentv OF 1871, When Chilli
was in possession Q! the territory between tuo
tWrnty-thtrd and twent Y-fourtf, degrees.
"Tbe friendly relations and tlle always !u-
crenBll.E trlde between the t"oruuHtrIes led te
CnIIian Government 10 expect That Peru would
pending difficulties with bolivia Unfortunately
this Was nut the case+ bly, Government has rrll.
able information TINT tho Peruvian Legation at
La paz MAS not unnnare of the obst.natc and VI
inent against Chill. After lhe port Of Antofagas-
IA was occupied bY Chil!an Foops, the uoyern-
nent OF Peru offered hrr good offices, which we
accepted With ihe hone ulat 80 equitable settle
ment Of tue difficulties might ba reached. But
thu Peruvian representative In Santts.o d.
nlandcd Is an Indispensable condition tile eyucu-
alton Of Antotogatta BY our troops. We could
not acceut such turns without danger 10 the in-
most alI Chtlians. At the same time tlc H.
feeling Of the Peruvian people against Chill was
increasing. encouraged BY the warliku pretara-
tIons Of that Gosernmtnt. Willis tlse Peruvlpn
Legation professe1 In Sautisgo peaccablc and
friendly mission, tho Government OF Luna hast
iIY ordered her navy to prepare for srrv:ve, tic
army to 10 strengthened. aId sent troops South.
We required the representative 10 declare thu
neutrality Of rcru, but hc declined 10 10 90,
stating that Peru and bolivia wara bound by i
secret treaty Of alliance, aid h!a Government
cnuld not tlka any action before knowing The
opinion OF Congress-, which was to meet on The
eth of April. According 10 tho terms ol this
treaty, The Government OF Peru was empowered
to declare BY tsaelf tic casus Ia,ders Without