The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-24
The News from South America.


changed, several incidents have recently
taken place which render the prospect OF an
agreement somewhat more promising. Time
is working on the side Of peace. With the
lapse of every month the dclusivo hopes of
American intervention entertained in Peru
and Bolivia tend toward extinction, while in
Chill itself there seems to DO growing con-
viction that an issue must be found oven ut
the cost OF some concessions, from tho pres
ent intolerable situation.
1t Is becoming more and moro evident, rs
the Gillian authorities have OWNED from the
outset Of peace negotiations, that q solution
OF the existing difficulty may bc materially
facilitated, il not definitely effected, by Bo-
livia. 1t Is at La Paz, where con-
stitutlonal government ID in opera
ton, rather than at the shifting head
quarters OF Peruvian guerrilla chiefs, that
tho preliminaries OF treaty, framed
to regulate tho claims Of tho combatants,
may be best arranged. Should Bolivia make
peace upon her own account, or should she,
without abandoning her ally, Insist that ccr-
tain terms profrered by Chill were reasonable
and ought to be accepted, it is probable that
public opinion in Peru would declare Itself 30
loudly against tho further prosecution of q
useless war that CARRrLLo and CACEREs
would find it impossible to keep even their
present inconsdcrable forces in the field.
That such would be the result OF q decided
change OF attitude on the part OF Bolivia has
been SO firmly believed at Santiago that. SO
long ago as the date of the africa Conference,
the Gillian representatives made special
efforts to win the good will OF tho ENJOYS
from La Paz, and, as the Official documents
published by our State Department show,
would probably have succeeded at
that time in rupturing tho alliance
between Peru and Bolivia but for
the unwarranted and reprehensible inter-
ference Of Mr.. ADAMS. the American Minis
ter to the last-named power. About q year
ago second effort was made on the part OF
Chilli to arrive at q friendly understanding
with the La Paz Government, and Mr.. BALMA-
CEDA, lately tho Gillian Secretary for For
eign Affairs, does not hesitate to assert that
tho preliminary agreement entered into at
Tacna between the agents Of his own coun-
try and Of Bolivia would have been rati-
fled by the Congress OF tho latter State
had not Mr.. ADAMS n sccCnd time in
terposed, and persuaded the La Paz au-
thorities to await the disclosure OF
the policy contemplated NV the United
States in despatching the TREsooTr mission.
Remembering the tenor OF Secretary
Daar,,.so fuctr uoefvno, ana observing that
Mr. WALKER BLAINE was allowed to accom-
pany Mr.. TEESCorr, the American Minister
at La Paz thought it quite safe to repeat tho
gross misconduct Of which he had been
guilty at africa, and FOR which he had escaped
due censure at the hands OF Mr.. EvARTs.
Since the miscarriage, however, of the
Tacna draft of an agreement, the Bolivians
have had their eyes opened to the inten-
tions of our Government by the recall of Mr..
ADAMS, and ore now evincing much moro
tractable disposition. 1t is true that the La
Paz Congress, in Its recent discussion Of the
peace problem, did not go SO far as to
openly dilTcrentiate its interests from those
| OF Peru; on the contrary. 1t made an edfy-
ing profession OF loyalty to its unlucky
ally, and declared that the MoNTRRo Gov
eminent must be notified in advance OF any
negotiations with Chill, and invited to share
in them. But the Congress was careful not
to say that, in case Of MoNTERo's maintain
ing defiant attitude. and refusing to offer
Chill reasonable indemnity, its representa-
tives should hold themselves bound to
initiate the perverse conduct OF their
ally. A very different purpose seems
to be implied in the injunction laid ON tho
Executive to at once conclude truce with
Chill il possible. and. having taken this pre-
liminary step, to spare no pains to adjust the
conditions OF lasting peace. In other
words, the Bolivians have recovered the
conciliatory temper OF which they gave evil
dence at the africa Conference, and which,
but for the meddlesome behavior of Mr..
ADAMS, would probably have put an end to
the South American troubles more than two
years ago.
The proposition ofAdmlral MoNTERo to cede
the districts Of africa and Tacna to Bolivia,
looks. at the first glance, like the offer OF a
bride to the La Paz Government to persist in
hostility to Chill. Now, there Is no doubt
that Bolivia urgently needs such an outlet to
the Pacific rs africa would afford her; indeed
before the war the bulk OF her foreign COM
merce was transacted through this harbor
instead of through the ports in her own coast
strip, which were cut off from the productive
districts of the interior by the almost impas-
sable desert OF Atacama. But, much rs the Boz
livians would like to possess africa, they
know that it Is not MoNTERo's to give, and
that they could not GUST the Chilians without
| series OF victories which the joint power OF
Peru and Bolivia, when at its acme, proved
unable to win. The La Paz authorities, in
fact, are perfectly aware that II they are ever
to get africa, or some other convenient
Peruvian port, they will have to OBJ
tain the free consent Of Chill, who now
holds all the desirable harbors in southern
Peru. This Is the secret but powerful mo-
tive which Is impcling Bolivia to side with
Chill in exacting from Peru a territorial in
demnity large enough for two 1t may also
be surmised that MoNTERo has thrown out
the suggestion mentioned as a feeler,
for he knows, Of course, that tho Peruvian
Constitution, about which we heard
80 much under the BLAINE regime
would be violated quite as iagrantly by a
ccssion Of national territory to ono foreign
country as to another II public opinion is
observed to view with tolerance a proposal
to give africa to Bolivia, it may be brought to
| view with less repugnance the further sacri-
fec OF Tarapaca. Indeed, 1t is difficult to
see what Peru, whose naval power is gone
| could do with the outlying province of