The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-02-12
CHILL AND PERU.
End Of Desperate Struggle Prostration Of
Peru.

We give below, from the New York World,
o succlnct and very Interesting sketch Of the
two years struggle between Chill and Peru, IN
South America, which it is hoped has come to
q lasting termination in the capture OF the
capital OF Peru by the Chllians. 1t only re-
mains TO add that the terms of peace which
1.-The ChillanS offer, and which Peru Will proha.
bly, be glad to accept, are more liberal and
moderate than the terceness Of the struggle
warranted any expectation of. They demand
cessSon of the desert mineral territory about
which the quarrel arose, and an indemnity of
s200o0,0 600 from Peru and Sl0OOO,OOO from
Bolivia, and propose to hold the chief Peruyi-
an seaport and the gUauo and Saltpeter depos
its as security for payment of the money. " et
this determination Is Of so much importance
to the outside creditors of Peru" remarks n
contemporary, "as she has no other sources OF
income adequate 10 meet the interest on her
heavy foreign debt, that it is not impossible
the English bondholders may urge tier gov.
eminent to lnterpose for the protection of their
interests. If Chill concludes to apply these
l. ,
that burden should be Cancelled IN few years,
but there will be nothing IN the meantime for
other creditors; while If size shoGd confscate
the income as an addition to or interest upon
the indemnity, il might be difficult to cacu
late the tune when the occupation would
cease"
From the u orid;
The war between Chilli and Peru, which has
now, it may nc hoped entered upon ts closing
chapter, began two years ago IN the dispute,
between Chill on one side and Peru aud Boliv.
ia on the other, concerning the right to tax the
deportation of nltrates from the narrow belt OF
territory lying between the tWcn,y.thi!G and
twenty fourth parallels Of south latitude al the
foot of the Bolivian Andes. This territory
which, like all Bolivia, was once part of Pc
RI, was claimed both 10y Bolivia and hy Chill.
BY mutual agreement the boundary was fixed
on the twenty.iOurth parallel. The territory
north and south was formed into zellverein
for & space Of twenty five years, Bolivia acting
as collector of customs, aud the receipts being
dvlsblc equally between both parties. chi.
Ian subjects resident within the same bounda
RES were 10 be exempted from any increase at
taxation, and Chiiian imports were 10 enter
duty free. Besides these concessions, Bolivia
amount rs the Emperor Of Brazil might award,
in satisfaction OF all further claims. This ter
ritory is desert and but for its minerals
would Ue almost vaiuelesS. CHILEAN capital
and Gillian enterprise developed these re-
sources They built the port OF Aniotagasta
and the mining town Of CaracOlcs. From the
vicinity of the latter town large quantities OF
silver ores have been and are still extracted.
These ores ale brought down to the por, and
there analgamaicd IN large reduction works
erected by il CHILEAN company. Between the
port and the town are extensive deposits OF
nitrate OF soda The earth containing this salt
is brought by rail to The works of another Chi
liam company and there made to yield its va!u'
able constituents including, besides the soda,
salt and iodine. These works produce some
5000 tons OF nitrate per month. This supply
competed with the Peruvian production and
was antGgonlstlC To the monopoly the govern
ment Of Peru sought To establish While ne
gutatiOns were gong on between Chtil aud $50.
/ llvIa rs 10 the right of taxation claimed by
! Bolivia, Chilli learned that secret treaty of
alliance had been entered into between Peru
and Bolivia in relation 10 this territory. The
basis Of this treaty, it appeared, had been the
refusal Of Chill 10 accept the offers made hy
the Peruvian government, DESTROYS Of securing
| the monopoly OF the nitrate OF soda, for the
purchase of the Gillian WORKS in AntO.agasta.
! The tuiliauS claim that 1t was in consequence
| of this refusal that the Bolivian government
made Il decree imposing u tax on the export OF
the product. Payment Of this being refused
by Tie Chllans, the Bolivian authorities pro.
cccdCd to levy the tax by force, and placed sol
diCrs in the nitrate works. On appeal to the
Gillian government the latter promptly dis
patched superior force and 0ustcd the Bolv-
ians, not only from the port of ARtoiagasa,
IA m a Z turnrnlps
the news OF the Chihan occupation reached
Lima great excitement CnsuCd. The militia
were ordered To be enrolled throughout Peru
for active service. Chilli however was III IA
position TO anticipate her rival, from having |
made her preparations for war and III order
not 10 lose her advantage she demanded, by !
her minister in Lima, n definite statement
from the Peruvian government a. to the cXls
tenCe Or nOnCXislcuCc OF the secret treaty with |
Bolivia. The government in Lima refused to |
answer the minister, and required that the de |
mand should be addressed to them through |
their penipotentiary at Santiago. This reply |
was tc!egraphcd 10 the CHILEAN government and
WAS promptly followed by the dispatch Of the
feet to blockade the coasts of Peru. 4 long
period Of maritime mancuvering followed, !
with several engagements between the two
fleets, TILL finally the only strong Peruvian iron
clad, the lluasCGr, was captured after q dCs-
pcrate conflict This put the whole coast Of
Peru almost at the mercy Of Chill. In No
vember, 1870, the allied forces OF Peru and 30.
livIa had met with a crushing dcica. al !qul-i
que, and the Peruviaus had suffered the los,
OF fine corvette the PIlcomayo. TIL" Gillian
fleet mistress Of the seas, proceeded 70 block
AIDE the ports Of africa lilo and Calao, and to
transport the GILLIAN army, which had been
quartered at Antofagasta, into the important I
department OF Tarapaca. The port and city
of Pisagua we're captured. the Chillans DIS
grazing tier victory by their eXcesses, and the
allied army were driven Dorthward. The
CHILEAN march to the north was slow, through
the difficulties of the country, and number
of minor engagements were fought, with rC.
sn1,s chiefly taypriny the invaders But az