The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-07
NO MONEY foa DREYFUs.

The Congressional Party VIII Not
Look With Favor Upon the Scheme.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3.-Cable dispatches
report that the French government looks to
the Chilean congressional junta for an early
settlement of the Dreyfus claim for $40, 000,-
600. The modesty of this is palmer when it
is stated that Balmaceda's rejection of the
claim is one Of the grounds on which its
payment Is now expected. Balmaceda's
action in this matter was one of the cred
liable acts of his government, and the
French authorities took their revenge by
keeping him from getting his warshlps for
months. In this way they gave direct aid
to the insurxent cause, yet it is doubtful If
the congressional leaders will recognize
that the debt is great enough for
them to risk international complications
with the United States and Great Britain
as well as with their South American neigh
bors which would follow their acceptance
of the French contention. The history of
the claim is interesting. After the war be-
| tween Chile and Peru, tract OF land con-
| tanning rich nitrate beds, and known as the
Tarapaco desert, was granted by Peru as
| peace concession. By the terms of the con-
| cession it was stipulated that after ten
yesrs the people should be allowed to vote
| to determine which government they should
live under Chile or Peru. If they voted to
| live in Chile then they were to pay Peru
| $4,000, 000 as the price of the land. If the
vote was IN favor of Peru, then that coun-
try was 10 pay Chile SlO,OOO,OO0 as war
| indemnity. The ten years will expire
within a few months 1t is thought that if
a vote were taken to-day nine-tenths of the
people would favor Chile Therefore that
country will undoubtedly be compelled to
pay for the district.
At the outbreak of the wer a French
banker named Dreyfus held a contract with
| Peru for guano and nitrates which gave
him the exclusive right to mine and export
these products from a certain part OF the
| Peruvian territory. The war nullified the
| contract, and he has claim against Peru
| for damages amounting to many millions
| Of dollars When it became certain that
| Chile would be compelled to pay Peru
| 100000 for the Tarapaca desert Mr..
| Dreyfus, who is very influential with
the French government, secured the
sent a special envoy TO Chile to in
sist that the $40, 100000 should be paid
| to Dreyfus and not to Peru, and this
demand was backed by the power of the
French government. England and the
| United States both protested against the
claim of Dreyfus and Carnot. Mr.. Blaine
wrote from Bar Harbor last summer one of
|
the French government, saying that the
United States was watching with exceeding
| interest the negotiations touching the Drey-
| fus claim, and that this country could not
look with appreciation upon auy such trans
action as was contemplated. a similar dis
patch was sent to the Chilean government,
urging it not to consider the Dreyfus claim,
but to pay the money TO Peru, which coun-
try needs it badly.
| The English government also made the
same appeal to Chile, and that country de-
MED the claim. President Balmaceda
plainly told the French envoy sent by
| President Carnot that the money would be
! paid to the Peruvian government, and that
| it could not be gsrnished. Tarapaca is one
of the provinces which the insurgents occu-
pied from the start. The Grace syndicate,
which funded the Peruvian national debt,
all along gave active aid to the insurgents
1t viii undoubtedly energetically protest
against paying over the money 10 Dreyfus,
and the influences OF the GTaces will not be
lost on the congressional leaders.