The Portland daily press., 1882-02-01
WEDNESDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 1,

amount from their ownership. africa and the
Lobos Islands will be as completely in her pos
session as Tarapaca OF course, Chilli is enti-
tied to war indemnity, and all the instructions
sent out from this Department while [ was see
retary recognized that fact in the fullest degree
She is entitled, as the old phrase went, to sim
demnity for the past and security for the fu-
ture." But Peru ought to have been allowed
TO pay cash indemnity and ought not TO be
subject TO destruction of her nationality The
territorial indemnity demanded is very valua-
BILE. The Province of Tarapaca contains the
wonderful beds of nitrate of soda which are ca
pable of producing an enormous revenue. Un-
der iudcious management this province is es-
timated to be worth from S3O,0O0,000 to S4O,-
5000 year. Besides this province, Chilli
takes the Province of africa and the Lobos Is
lands-both of very great value. The Lobos
Islands are not seized by reason of contiguity
or for military defence. They are three little
islands off the coast of Northern Peru, estimat-
ed TO contain several million tons of guano and
worth verysarge sum in ready cash. Hum
boIdt, when he visited Peru in 1904, declared it
to be the richest country on the globe in natur-
al wealth But Chill will leave it among the
poorest. She is taking all the rich slices as an
epicure earves the tidbits from piece of game.
She will take the guano and the nitrates and
leave TO Peru the desert and the mountains
'How has Chill been able to make such
complete conquest of Peru?"
Peru was exhausted by her extravagant
outlays onsrailroads, amounting in the aggre-
gate TO more than 5000, 100000, and she had no
navy and only disorganiZed army. Chill got
iron-clad ships from England, and material of
war from the same source. Chilian soldier
marched to Peru, clad in uniforms of English
cloth, with English muskets on their shoulders
English sympathy has stood behind her at
every step in her conquest and English COM
mercial interests receive tremendous impulse
rom, Chi1ifa aoUFaOdizamnpt I think tho
suit of this Pera-Chilian war destroys Ameri-
can influence on the South-P Pacific coast, and
literally wipes out American commercial
interests in that vast region"
"Do you blame England for the resulL?'
sTo blame England would be childish
England is always bold, energetic and vigilant
in spreading her commercial power. I admire
her ceaseless activity, but do not believe in
having it exercised at the expense of the
United States Especially do dislike to see
England winning great commercial triumphs
in field that legitimately belongs to the
United States, and which tho United States
could readily command if she would. Chilis
victory throws the whole Peruvian business
into English hands. The export of guano and
nitrate is already nearly 100000 tons per an
nun, and will rapidly increase, all from Peru
vian territory, and all now absorbed by Chill.
English bankers will furnish the money, En-
glish merchants will transact the business, En-
glish ships will carry the cargoes Over 800
will gain from 1t in two years more than the
entire cost of her war, and England will absorb
the business, as she sbsorbs the trade of Portu-
gal. of Egypt, of Australia, or of Bengal"
Upon being asked whether the instructions
committed to Mr. Prescott contemplated war
with Chill, Mr.. Blaine said "The United
States surely never intended to make war on
Chill, and cannot imagine that any one was
afraid Chill would make war on the United
States. The instructions aimed at the triumphs
of peaee-not of war If, with cur fifty mil
lions of people and our continental strength,
we consider ourselves in any possible or imag-
nary danger from Chill, we should at once
look to our delences. But the whole talk of
war with Chill is very absurd. / scarcely have
patience to bestow word on such nonsense"
"But was not your policy new departure from
the conservative methods OF our country"
''On the contrary, it was directly in the line
OF cur safest precedents, laid down by our most
distinguished and conservative Secretaries of
State. See the steady influence exerted by
Mr.. Seward to re-sstablish the authority of Ju-
arez in Mexico. See how, by the moral power
of the United States, the French were expelled,
Maximilian overthrown, and republican gov
ernment, with JuareZ at its head, restored. 1t
would not have required as great an exertion
of the moral influence of tho United States to
save Peru from destruction and make Peru
and Chill both our friends. In 1876, when
Mr. Buchanan was Secretary of State Eng
land was endeavoring to extend her influence
in Central America, with the view of obtain
ing control of the State of Panama.
''Mr. Buchanan, one of the most conserva-
tive of Secretaries, Immediately made treaty
with Colombia, in which the United States
guaranteed positively and efficaciousiy, the
ownership OF Panama to Colombia 1t would
not have been necessary to guarantee Tarapa-
ca to Peru, and it was never intended. It is
wise diplomacy to use only the means required
TO the end. yhe steady, moral pressure of the
United States would have saved the nationality
of Peru as it did that of Mexico. 1 do not
think it was necessary to go half so far as Mr..
Buchanan did in the case of Panama."
''Was not the earlier practice of the Govern
ment against such course as your instructions
indcated?'
"0n the contrary, Mr.. Adams, when Secre.
tary of State under President Monroe and Mr..
Clay. when Secretary under President Adams,
both took bold stand in recognizing and aid
ing the Spanish-American Republics when at
war with Spain. At that time we had only 10,-
100000 OF people, and revenue in q year
scarcely SO large as we have now in a week.
But we did not then say that contests in South
America were of no interest to us. Mr. Adams
and Mr.. Clay thought differently, and spoke
boldly, and itriotically extended the influence
of the Unite States in aid of suffering Ameri-
can Republics. We cannot afford in our pow
er to do less than we did in our weakness"
What first induced you to use the moral
power and influence of the United States to
save Peru from destruction?"
Peru appealed earnestly to the United
States to save her. See sent special envoy to
Washington to request,to implore, to supplicate
our aid She did notask military interference.
She merely asked that the United States,
speaking by her great authority, would save
her from destruction, she felt the heavy hand
OF England upon her at every turn"
"What will become of Peru after Chill has
taken all her valuable territory?''
She will either fall into anarchy or be kept
in subsection by Chilian army of occupation,
TO be supported from the property of which
Peru is despoled. Either result will be suffi-
ciently wretched. and the end will be an abso-
Lutte domination of English influence in both
parr1 oDd Chilli