Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-29
The South American War.

A. recent New York newspaper
contains an interview with a distin.
guished citizen of Chill, which gives
a detailed and elaborate account OF
the causes of the war between the
splendid little republic OF Chill on the
one side and Bolivia and Peru on the
other. Chill must have the sympathy
of the people of the United States,
principally because of its right, and
particularly because it is the smallest
of the three nations, and is at present
"the under dog in the fight" Chill
also approaches near to our republic
in its free institutions, in the rule of
law, and in the maintenance of or
der. 1t is less revolutinary, and more
progressive more enlightened, and
better specimen of American civil
cation.
The facts in regard to the present
war appear to relate back to the time
when the South American republics
were formed. In 1910, Chill and Pc.
RI became republics. There then re.
manned between Chill and Peru a
large underlined territory not included
in the boundaries Of either. 1t is said
that Bolivar, the Liberator- Geo.
Washington of South America, when
this partition of territory was made,
was present with the representatives
of the two governments, and he laid
his sword across the map which they
were considering, saying, "this will
be Bolivia" Chill had occupied for
years this territory, and its citizens
had for long time worked in the
Desert of Atacama in mining and in
guano works, as far down as the Bay
of Majillones. But the word OF Boil.
var was accepted and the boundaries
were so arranged. In 1850 Bolivia,
for the first time claimed jurisdiction
over the so-called desert of Atacama,
and demanded still further exten
sion OF territory towards the 25th de-
gree of south latitude. This claim
was resisted, and a diplomatic strug-
gle ensued which lasted till 1866 1t
was then agreed that the 25th paral-
lei should be the line between the two
nations, but that the intermediate
country lying between the Esd and
oath degrees, though by right and
law belonging to Bolivia, should di-
vide its revenue from taxes, its in
come upon guano and all matters of
that sort, with the CHILEAN govern.
ment.
But Bolivia never fulfilled this stip-
ulation. 1t collected all the revenue,
and paid nothing over to Chill. On
this Bolivian territory, the revenue
of which was to be divided with
Chill, $4,000 Chilians had settled
and were working the silver and salt
petre mines and they constituted
nearly the entire population In 1874
matters came TO crisis again, and
then, with a magnan,n.itv unexam-
pied among nations, Chill agreed
that Bolivia might retain all the du-
ties previously collected and might
receive all the duties to be paid after
ward, provided that Chilian citizens
on The disputed territory should not
be taxed. Bolivia agreed to this
proposition and treaty to that eff.
feet was ratified in that year. The
account from which the above is con.
densed, says:
at was in March, 1878, that Bolivia issued
a decree ordering that saltpetre should pay
ten cents per quintam ZOO pounds as minis
mum for export duty. Chill said she could
not do this, according to me treaty; but Be-
'Iivia insisted r5on it. At the same time Ro-
1fyian law officers Instituted legal proceedings
against Gillian saltpetrc company in Anto-
fagasta, and the government. ordered that this
company should pay 10000 on saltpetre ex-
ported from March up to November. 1875
All the time that the CHILEAN Ambassador
was discussing with the Bolivian Foreign lin
lister the iIIegality Of this proceeding and the
impossibility Of enforcing such decree. the
Bolivian government was actually seizing the
property of the saltpetre company and or
dered public auction sIie of this properly to
take place on February Is, 1879. On tie
l4th of February, however, the day before
the great sale four Gillian men-of-war en-