The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-20
Diplomatic System
Should Be Thor
oughly Reformed.
OUTRAGES ON OUR CITIZENS.
Extortion and Injustice
to Americans in South
America.

| A gentleman who has been a resident
of South America for 10 years. and who
is on visit to Worcester, gave a very
interesting interview to Spy represen-
tative relative to the condition of af-
| fairs in that country, particularly to
the system of appointing consuls, min
! listers or diplomatic agents, which he
| considers the most pernicious and dan
| gerous system on earth.
AS an illustration of the pernicious
! system in vogue, endangering not only
| the good name of the United States,
| but also the lives and properties of
American citizens, he mentions the fol-
| lowing facts: In Bolivia, the United
| States vice-consul is a native of that
country, and for over ten years he has
favor Of every newly appointed Ameri-
can minister, and has maintained a
system of
EXTORTION AND INJUSTICE
to American citizens in that country.
Through his manipulations, Mr.
Balch, a gentleman from Illinois, was
kept in prison in Oruro for % months,
and during this awful time he was lit
orally eaten up by vermin and had to
be supplied with food by charity
Neither the Bolivian authorities nor the
law provide for either sanitation or food
for the prisoners, and they are absol-
utely dependent upon charity
Another American from Illinois has
been confined, and is still confined in
Santa Cruz in prison for three years
Both of these men were imprisoned
without trial In the former case all
papers connected with the trumped-up
charges against him were stolen by the
authorities.
In the Benz, Mr.. Robertson of New
Jersey was murdered by order of DR.
Vaca Diaz in 1892, because he would not
join syndicate for the purchase of
large rubber estates in the interest of a
German house. Neither his relatives
nor his friends have to this day had an
opportunity to get justice from the Bo-
livian laws. Still another American. by
the name of Prince, was found muir
dered in Chayanta by the man whom he
sheltered over night, and the murderer
when found was IN possession of Mr.
Princes clothing and effects, and yet
not the slightest step was taken to
bring him to justice, by reason of the
fact that the murderer was a relative of
the American vice consul
The gentleman who consented to the
interview with The Spy representative
says that he himself, when in conyers-
alton with the vice-consul, was told
that he (the vice-consuD proclaimed
himself the real minister of the United
States, and that he translated official
documents and papers to suit his own
purposes, as no representative of the
United States government who ever
came to Bolivia has
UNDERSTOOD THE SPANISH Lam
GUAGE.
AS an illustration of the pernicious
results from the present system of ap-
pointments of vice-consuls, he cites the
case Of certain United States ministers.
who have resided in Bolivia, where the
informant has been for the purpose of
collecting data for the publication of
the Spanish-American history. It prom
Uses, when finished, to give a revelation
which, no doubt, will force the hand of
the United States government to show
cause why they shall not take the adj
ministration of Spanish America into
its own hands, or abandon the relations
and allow another civilized nation to
rule it.
Evidently the Spanish-American is
unfit to rule himself, much less to be
invested with power to rule others. In
his labOriOus task of hunting any reli-
able information, a thing most difficult
to obtain in Spanish America. our in
formant has become possessed of much
interesting correspondence bearing up
on this subject.
Following is an extract of a letter
written by prominent gentleman resi-
dent of Bolivia for more than 80 years.
1t is dated May 20, 1896:
CONSULs TO BOLIVIA.
About the men that the United States
has sent out to Bolivia to represent the
government: With one exception they
hoy cod Ia M -
gentleman and knew his business. Mr.,
R was harmless, and that is all that
can be said about him. P A.
and A were none of them clean The
first drew a draft against the treasury in
Washington that was false, but his gov
eminent sold him out to pay 1t back The
second went off without paying for spe-