Mesa free press., 1900-09-21
WAR CLOUDS IN SOUTH AMERICA
Three.conered Conflict Over the Peruv.
ian Provinces of Tacna and africa.

Valparaiso, Chilli, Aug. 11.-[Asso-
ciated Press Correspondence. Wired
from Chicago, Sept. 81 A three
sided conflict is in prospect on account
of the Tacna-Arica question, which has
remained in allegiance since the treaty
of Anon, which terminated in 1884 the
victorious war of Chill against Peru
and Bolivia. 1t was agreed then that
the victor was to occupy the Peru
Wan provinces of Tacna and africa for
ten years, after which a plebiscitum
was to delare whether those provinces
wanted to be incorporated with Chile
or return to Peru. The date passed
off, however, without any plebiscitum
being taken. The Chileans put it off,
under this or that pretext, because, it
is claimed, they wanted to colonize
the provinces with their own people,
and thus secure a majority in their
favor at the holding of the plebisci-
tum. 1t is asserted that they sent
their soldiers and all kinds of people
from the slums of the Chilean sea-
ports.
The question of the final ownership
of Tacna and africa has thus remained
unsettled, and Chile still occupies the
provinces, with the deliberate inten-
ton, according to many Chilean pa
pers and political speakers, of keeping
them forever. Peru makes an appeal
to arbitration in order to settle peace
fully the question of the final owner
ship Of these provinces. And here
comes the point where the United
States and the Argentine Republic are
dragged into the dispute.
The United States government Law,
ing invited all the Spanish-American
countries to participate in the second
Pan-American Congress, to be held at
Mexico in October, 1901, must have
been surprised to receive from the
Chilean government conditional ac-
ceptance. Chile being aware that the
congress was to proclaim arbitration
as the only method to settle interna-
tional differences on this continent,
answered that it would send repre-
sentatives to the congress only on
condition that arbitration should be-
applied exclusively to future disputes.
The acceptance of such condition, 1t
lis pointed out, would leave Chile free
~ dCL DIS SuO PlCdSSu Will lCLCl ChCC "
.annexatlon of Tacna and africa.
Meanwhile the people of Argentina
began to fear that the Chileans would
not accept the decision about the
Chilo-Argentina frontier limit ques-
ton, which had been submitted to the
arbitration of Queen Victoria, and, as
if to support and justify their fears,
it is reported that the Chilean govern
ment has trespassed upon the absolute
rights of the arbitrator i1 imposing
the obligation of limiting Ithe award
to such and such points.
No wonder that, amid this mess of
conflicts, the governments Eare making
preparations for war. While Chile
has sent to Germany her favorite gen
Feral Korner, to buy guns and cannon,
Peru has dispatched on a similar err
rand her former President, Gen. Ca
ceres, and the Argentine Republic is
drilling it's national guards. In addi-
tion there is about to be instituted
in Chile compulsory military service,
and the regrettable system of armed
peace may be inflicted upon the re-
publics of South America, as a result
of the fact that Chile now holds over
them the sword of Damocles through
her unwillingness to settle finally the
old question of Tacna and africa.