The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-15
The State of Things in Chill.

Tho effect Of the prolonged war with Peru
and Bolivia on the fiscal and social condition
OF Chill herself, must OF course have an i'm
portnnt bearing on the prospect Of peace. II
Chill, Us her enemies assert, Is staggering
under a burden too great for her resources.
she may DO expected to soon modify the
terms preferred to her antagonists so rs to
hasten the termination OF an eXhauSting
contest If, on the other hand the years
during which war has been prosecuted on
foreign soil have been marked by unusual
growth and Improvement at home, the San
tiago Government Is unlikely to assent to
any treaty which does not confer material
| territorial gains. That the latter hypothesis
represents the real state OF the case seems
evident from facts brought out in official re-
ports lately published in the Gillian capital.
We would call attention to some OF these
data, promising that by Chill we mean the
republic as 1t existed before the present war;
and exclusive OF the Bolivian seacoast and
the Peruvian province OF Tarapaca, although
| both these districts were last year formally
annexed by an act Of the Legislature.
| The population Of Chill at the beginning OF
| the war, in 1879 was 2,155.OOO. For several
previous years the annual increase Of popu-
lation had been about 10000, and COMPARE
son OF the registers OF births and deaths
demonstrates that tho normal rate OF expan-
sion has been fully sustained. The total
number OF inhabitants on Jan. 1, 1882. was up
ward OF 1926, 900, exclusive Of the 10000 con-
tanned In the Bolivian coast strip and Tara
paca. This steady growth Is the more note
worthy because, while tho regular army
comprised less than 5000 men at the out
break OF hostilitics, more than 10000 hovo
since been enlisted, and the loss OF life by
battle or through disease has been very
| large. Neither has the loss been made up
by emigration. as in the Northern States
during the civil war. There have been during
the last four years scarcely any accessions
from this source, and there are at the present
time less than 10000 forcign-born persons
within the territory Of tho republic.
| There has been during the war consider
able change in the distribution OF the Gillian
people, with the result that larger proper
tion is now subjected to clvilizing influences.
In 1873 only one-fourth OF the inhabitants
dwelt in cities and towns but the remark
able growth OF Santiago and Valparaiso since
that date illustrates the present drift toward
the denscy populated centres. The first OF
| tic ciliea Hhilicu HIS lTcTeaStt from l4S,UU
to 10000, AMI the second from 1900 to
10000. This tendency to urban concentra-
ton has been attended by q much kecner
appreciation OF the advantages OF educa-
ton. In the single twelvemonth bot ween 1880
and 1881 the number OF children enrolled in
the public schools rose from $4,000 to 65 600
to which numbers must be added tho 5000
pupils who received instruction in tho pri.
vate and society schools. The fact that
much the larger part OF the population was
engaged in agricultural pursuits and thinly
scattered over wide expanse OF territory Is
chargeablo not only with the illiteracy which
has heretofore been reproach to Chill, but
with tho insecurity OF life and property in
tho remote rural districts. Last year Wig
orous attempt was made to remedy the latter
evil by the organization OF rural police
maintained by tax upon the landowners.
That the industrial and commercial situn
ton Of Chill has improved during the war u
concluslvely established by Official statistics
In 1879 tho exports wore valued at "a, TOO, 900