The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-17
CHILL REr,rsrs
IL Njli not Pay France the Dreyfus
Cisttm Against Peru.

Claim Against Peru.
A letter from Lima, Peru, dated Novem-
Der q, 1890, says: "1'he Chii;an Govern
ment has returned dccidedrcfusal to the
request made by the French Minister, to
the effect that the Dreyfus claim against
Peru amounting TO nearly 22,OOOOOO silver
soles, should be paid by Chill out of the
funds received for the sale of Peruvian
guano and deposited in the Bank of Eng
land. When NJ. Harmand, the recently
appointed diplomatic representative of
the French Republic, presented his ere.
dcntials to the President Of Chill, he caused
general surprise and dissatisfaction by
introducing in his inaugural remarks an
alusion to the Dreyfus claim, expressing
the hope that it would be cancelled by the
Chilian Treasury. The President replied
to this in a very guarded manner. The
Chilian press Immediately took up the
matter, and in strong terms dissuaded the
Government from acquiescing in any such
concessions.
"Thcquestion has been finally settled by
sharp dispatch from Senior Godoy, the
Chlian Minister of Foreign Affairs, adj
dressed to NJ. Harmand, in which that
gentleman is informed that Chill is only
responsible for the observance of the
terms of the treaty of peace signed at
Ancon in 1888, and that in that document
10 1ntllIlbn OT UlluSlOll IL llluuc W lnt
Drcyflis claim.
"rhc Government here felt no appre-
hension regarding. the affair, since as far
back as March last il was informed by the
Government of Chill that such an attempt
was already being made by France, but
that no approving action of the claim
would be made by Chill, as in justice
none could be.
"France evidently supposed that the
former animosity of Chill toward her
whilom enemy existed, and neglected to
remember that Chill, in view of the very
large commercial movement between the
two Republics, is more than interested in
the national progress of Peru. So that the
matter, as far as Chilli Is concerned, has
terminated and as all the dictatorial acts
of Iierola, whose government approved
the claim, have been declared null and
Illegal by resolution of Congress- there is
no probability of the claim being heard of
in this Republic.
Lord Donoughmore, the representative
of the bondholders' committee, is still at
the Bolivian capital and the reports re-
ceivcd from him are very favorable. He
has been successful in obtaining conces-
sion from that government for the con-
struction of railway from Lake Titicaca
to the capital, La Paz, for n term of fifty
| years, and rs no engineering obstacles of
consideration are to be overcome, and the
distance is small, some thirty miles in all,
| the work will probably be completed in a
couple of years. This will connect the
Bolivian capital directly by railway and
| steamer navigation with the Peruvian port
| of Mollendo, thus avoiding the long tran
| sit of merchandise from Tacna by means
| of mules, and will be of immense advan-
| tage to the railway extending down from
| Pmo, whence line of steamers will con-
| meet with the new railroad to La Paz--to
Boliendo, passing through Arequipa.
1.-THE original intention when this line
| was opened in 1873 was to extend it to La
Paz, but the difficulties of negotiation,
local jealousies, revolution and foreign
| war prevented the realization of the de
| sign up to the present time. When LORD
| Donoughmorc returns to Lima, within
six weeks, he will proceed to visit the
| railways in the north of Peru and then
| will return to London to lay an extensive
| report before the bondholders' commit
tee as to the advantages and necessities of
| the different lines with view of obtain
ing the requisite authority to proceed inn
| mediately to the prolongation and c1m-
| pletion of those which warrant such ex-
| penditurc.
"The news from all quarters of the re-
| public assure us that peace and content
are regnant The administration is very
popular, and with the exception of some
minor local troubles at Lima, in CON
nection with the choice of new munici-
pality there is nothing important enough
to require transmission"