, 1879-04-29
THE SOUTH AMERICAN WAR.
Interview With a Chilean Commlssl1ner on
Hts Way to Europp-Tho CAuso Of All tho

~ - = ~" AA~Ao4AN "AAS'
--
Interview with Chilean Comm's.Ionsr on
Hts Way to Europp-Tho Causo OF All tho
Tronbio.
N<,o FORK Htya.d, April ~.
acnor J. Abolardo Nunex. Chilean Comma.
s,oner. r,arrc1 hv ~. noyer,rnsnt % w,,h ] .,,,av.
s'o"Gtt c''see" " nls Government ",ta etuoF'
'nK the proRscss of primary education In Eurono
and also In this country, is now in this city for
tho purpose Of gathering ali information bear
inv on ,i,e .nrr,ol ant ,,nnortont .o, tntrn.t.1
s,,,,a 49,. s"a 1a. 'u'A ~. aeteu
W nv e4.e' :" eonsersat!on Wlth Ieplceenta-
Is gentleman we'll vcrsed in sll matters per.
tatning 10 thu South American Ronublic. ata,ed
TINT ,hc con,c., NV .ao,nr .' st.,s"n' s f,st,s
r..,,,t. 49,, ,,,s.. .,.,, ,As"s oes"sen eule'
oo'lsla' ahu iesu "oolu efs long engage tho 1t.
tenslon Of the civilized world to larecr extent
than was Anticipated, even bv thuse who kept
thvmsslye, oenerally wcll no.,cd -, - afY,,r. ~
ths ,ta,, ,,rt ~ III. ,a.tsss a. " @"@'' III
In order to well understand tue present
troubles, said scnor Nunez, we must 10 hack
eomcuaat, md remember tint in 1910. sfter tha
wor nf in,frncn,lcnrc. ,gi,.o Par, M, fsh. ,o.
eA"o "cpuplst, tieEc remained LARGO terri
tory wllirll had not been spanlst, province be-
tween Peru, Brazil, md Chile. Gen. Bolivar,
tte 1eo'ss Washington Of South America,
called 1t NoltVta. though The truth Is that re-
Eardlets OF any other considerations he really
narccfcd uut the extent Of thts territory by
drawing, A. 70 Speak, hts awor.l across fe map,
ped for ycars this territory, unsl It's citizens ha
1or fung ,Ilnc worked In tic Desert Of Atucatna
~ mining atut n guaHo works, as far down as
tho Lay Of Aail1)oucs. In 1A50 Bolivia for
the, first time claimed Ownership Of the
north of the Desert OF Atncutnn, and,
inrtinr, demanded large extension of
territory to the twenty-afih degree.
Attrr conf lerae{s sen trouble trsaty was at la.t
That treaty provided TINT tAt'.ccforwarl ilse
Legitimate fr0itirrs between the two Republics
should be tureyer ut the twenty-lourth degree,
but at tle same time tllat tug immcdntc coul'-
try lying between tho twenty-thlrd nt!a twenty
fourth degrees, though nv right AMI law telunR-
Ing to D1ltvln, stonid divide tts revenues and
taxes, its incutnc upon guuto und Ill mAlters
Instead 81 acting up to the provisions Of this
treaty Bolivia, on tho contrary, did not pay
single cent VI this revenue to Chilli between the
years 1870 AN! ls7i. It should be remembered
Chtlu NJ u time tint Spanish frigatcs were
hotnbarung tht can ports, and thai. Valparaiso
ut the time suffered terribly. As time
pnsaed OH, however,, it was q TeEy difficult
inutscr for Chile 10 i,duco Bolivia to live III to
iier aEreement. or eren 10 urge ller to such
action. NJ less than 19 90 Chitenns Ind settled
| then5cfyes III places ACTUALLY belonging TO B0-
| iiyIa, M.td they kent themselves occupied by
working the rich silver mines Ut CaraEoles a,,l
/ tho saltpctre dhtrict. With a generosity but
| sgldum eg,ln!ed II. the at1ulrs Ut nations, the
CHILEAN Goser'I'ncnt suddenly recerl from the
position previously t!eld, itlld made Bolivia
present oi ai tlle duties sle tChils} ourlt to
lave reccivctl tn eight yenrs. I aEteelig, fur
tcr u htinuattan ll.at In the future It should
t!e Holirias right to rrecirc tic whoe of these
| duties. This Cltican generosity was, however,
accompanied with u request Tint bolivia sE,ous,i
| nut co!lcCt a tpr from il,r Chileans working III
lsullyiaii silver aud ssltpo'ru minus ios twenty
/ five years. This. Indeed, WIS tic au1stancu Of a
new treaty III 1871:
| It was ~ March, 1875 TINT Bolivia Issued 4
decree ordering Hut saltpetre should pay IL
cents per Gliinsun {lu0 poullds) US minimum for
| cxpurt duly. Chile sal sllc could mot do this
acchrd!ntt TO fle treaty; but BOLIVIA insisted
uI,u,l 1t. At the same time Bolivian law officers In
situtcd legal proceedings uganst Chilean saitss
metre company .in Antofagasta, a1.d LIE Guv.
3tD,0tN on saltpetrc exported from March up to
Hhrelnber, 1878. ALI the tttc that tlIc ChiIenu
| Ambassador was discussing With The Bolivian
Foreign Minister the lIegality Ut this proccel-
Ing ailtt illu tu,possfbilitY Ut enforcing sucl.
dccrcc the Bolivian Government WIS actually
seszIng the property Of the saltuetsc company
| and ordered II uubltc auction eae Of this prop
crty to luke place OIL Feb. Is, ts7s.
furU tic Erent snp, four Chtlenu nsll -of-wur en-
tered tllG hurbor Of Antofagastn. They lu,stlcd
LEU soldiers, who soon touk possession no.
oly 1E tie tnw hut Of tIIe salt pc,rc works u;nt
thu silver iolnes. about 110 miles distunt It
1ll,,st le remembered ilIat tl,r population OF
AntolaEustM nd ot tic al5oinmE mines Is com
WSci Ut Cl,ileans, numbering at lenst l1,0OD,
and there are oniY :lU i5ultviats In tho cutIrs
district. lie nles,-of-war, wloso arrlyaI sent
l6y to tue hpnsts Ut ilr Inhabitants uf Anto[a-
E.4sta, were the twu irun'plaled lrigates Lus.i
Cur!lrnuc and Dlaucu Encala,'a carrying SIX
guns eac.,, nh! bu,t built IN England, md tuu
twu curyettes 0'iliggias u,u Cliarabucu. CAilu
at utre Issued manifesto In whLril she rcr!tcl
that, by tltu treatY Of lstti SHE had celuu to
Ch,ieuns shoud nut pay taxes; but IL 70 iar a' US
Buiyu ind violated lint treat tbs yot,,,)1ct wss