The San Francisco call., 1896-01-01
PRESENTS. THE CLAIMS.
Americans Not to Be Shut Out
Of the Share of the Guano-
Aw"rdS.
MANY MILLIONS ARE INVOLVED.
Tactics of Nations to Shut Out This
Country Beaten by Vigorous
Diplomacy.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec 31-A cable
gram from Lausanne, Switzerland, an
nounces the arrival there this morning Of a
messenger from Washington,. who: pre-
sented to the president of the lnterna-
tional Court of Arbitration the documents
in the famous Dondreu claim against
Peru. With only a few hours TO spare a
secret arrangement between Great Britain,
France and Chile to divide the guano
'fund now in the Bank Of England was
prevented from being entirely consum-
mated without the admission OF American
claims.
1t appears that a sum a aggregating s., ,500,-
GOO had accumuiatedin the Bank of: Eng
land as the proceeds OF guano sold by
Chile in acccrdance with article ~ of the;
treaty OF peace between that country and
Peru. ratified ir March, 1881, which] pro-,
vided that the net proceeds of the sale OF
10000 tons of guapo should be equally
divided between the Chilean Government
and the creditors of Peru. subsequently
the English holders OF .Reruyian bonds
arranged with Peru 10 settle the debt on
the terms OF the well-known Grace agree
mem, and the British Government forced
Chile to cede to the bondholders OF the
Bank ofEngland the deposit and all guano
prices for eight years, amounting: alto
Ectser to over ten millions.
France Immediately interposed a claim
OF priority 5or Dreyfus & Co. Of Paris. who
assertedi It hat this guana. had been guar
antee to}hem for a loan of 20, 900 600 francs
10 Peru. Under these ciFcum stances the
: three Govern ments concerned agreed TO
leave the matter to tribunal composed OF
three Justices OF the Supreme Federal
Court of Switzerland, including the Chief
Justice. who should distribute the funds
in the Bank OF England.
1The court met nearly year ago and an.
nounced that it would receive petitions
and evidence until April 80, 1895.
The American Minister al Berne notified
the State Department OF this fact, and Sec
retary Gresham, by vigorous action, sue
cecded in having the time extended to
SeUtember'25, and the inquiry broadened
TO include American CLAIMS against Chile
and Peru.
I,-.-,. a.. Use - 'airesu.y- ,4re-
scuted 10 the Chilean Claims Commission
which met in Washington during the sum-
mer OF 1894, nut was not then considered
the tribunal, deciding that it had no juris-
diction over the case.
When Secretary Olney came into the
State Departmenthe saw that the volum-
inous evidence and documents. could not
possibly be rendered 10 French as early
is September -, vet was absolutely es-
sential that this shoI be done. as all the
proceedings Of the S iss court we're con-
Quoted IN that language, and its rules pro-
vided that all documents should be in
French. Secretary Olney secured a fur-
ther delay TO December 81, which the
court granted, bus declared must be final
Every facility was offered the claimants
by Secretary Oluey, and the entire de-
partment's force of expert translators was
assigned 10 the case and worked on it
steadily for several months.
Two weeks ago the evidence was printed
and the messenger with copies left i'm
mediately for Switzerland. His passage
had been engaged by the st. Paul, but on
account OF the exploded steampipe.on that
vessel ne was compelled to take the Cam
PAM, and only arrived in Havre on Sun
day last. Then began the race to Switzer-
land and resulting as announced in to-
days cable in the delivery of the docu-
ments to the court within a few hours of
tHC "a PAA ot-'li u tle Hidl iilllt OIL time.
1t IS understood that the total amount
to be distributed by the Swiss court will
probably exceed 100000 which is about
the figure of the Londreus claim, which is
said to have priority over that of the
French banker Dreyfus
1t is estimated that the action of Chile
in Withholding from the United States
knowledge of the secret convention entered
into for the distribution of fund i'll which
American claimants had SO much interest
calls for an explanation.