The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-18
THE LATEST MOVE OF CHILE.
Reasons Why She Seeks II Coniing
station in salvador.


! vador to obtain a coaling station in that
| Republic. 1t was generally surmised by
| people in the United States familiar with
the tactics of Chile that this ambitious
! and somewhat INSCRIPTIONS Republic on
| the western coast of South America
wanted to make ready for any conditions
which might arise after the building OF
! the Nicaragua Canal. This belief IS also
entertained by citizens of other South
American Republics. and to them it seems
a matter of the gravest Importance,
Chile is not a popular nation on her own
/ continent She has been called the bully
/ of South America Her people are strong
/ forcetul, energetic and ambitious, and
with a tendency to militarsm which has
! made them feared by their rival Repub-
! lies These rivals see in this tendency
| to expansion a new danger to themselves.
! Peru and Bolivia naturally have the
! greatest fear because they have already
! felt the oppressive hand of the conquering
| Chilean. The people of these two nations
hate Chile more fervently than even the
| French do the Germans, and for the same
cause.
The war between Chile on the one side
and Peru and Bolivia on the other. which
in 1873 and 1850 resulted in the overwhelm
ing defeat of the allied Republics, had
left rancor and national hcartburuing
which time has done little to ease because
the terms of peace, entered into at the
close of the war, left much to he settled
I in the future. 1t is maintained by Peru
and Bolivia that Chile has not kept faith
and that because of her superior military
prowess, made possible by the great in
demnity eXacted from the conquered coun-
tries, she is steadily refusing to do what
( she promised
Whether that be true or not, Chile is in
a position to act as she pleases toward
her two northern neighbors. She has the
power to enforce any demands she may
make, and she has been steadily increas-
| ing her military and naval strength. She
| is enabled to do this by the revenues
yielded to her from the Bolivian province
of AntOfogasta and the Peruvian province
of Tarapaca. which came 10 her as part
of her war indemnity
1t is estimated by Peruvans that the
| amount Of export duty collected on salt
petre and iodine from these two provinces
from 1879 to 1899 is more than $3.50. 900 0O0.
The entire indemnity from the two Re
publics is estimated at 100000. 0OO, and
this enormous sum. not paid in bulk. but
coming in annual installments, is being
applied by the Chileans almost exclusive
" to the development of their naval and
military strength.
Peru and Bolivia on the other hand
are correspondence weakened by the loss
of this immense wealth, and they have
been utterly unable to keep pace in the
matter of national ornaments. The Ar
gentine Republic is the only power in
South America that threatens in any way
the domination OF Chile as the chief pow
er of that continent.
1t is Chile's ambition to play the role of
the master in South American interna-
tional politics She is not arming herself
against Peru and Bolivia although il is
said that she contemplates further exac-
tions from them. There IS no cause for
her to increase her strength in order TO
achieve her purposes with references to
these two. Her ambitions are higher
She wants to be in a position to hold her
own against Argentina, and. if necessary
even against the United States.
1t is not likely that Chile would ever
pick a quarrel with this country but, if
the opinion of her rivals in South America
counts for anything. she resents our i'm
piled domination in South America \
South American diplomatist now in
Washington, who has followed the course
OF events in his own continent, told a re-
porter recently that there was less
friendship and more hostility toward the
United States in Chile than in any of the
ethes Latin Republics.
Chile, he SAID, is pro-Spanish in her
sympathy. She resents Anglo-Saxou
domination and Interference in South
American affairs. Her ambition is to
form a union of all South American.
countries under the tutelage of Spain
with chile at the helm in this hemisphere
in order to combat what she believes to
be the unwarranted pretension of the
great North American Republic
Through the riches which she has
wrung from Peru and Bolivia, she has
been enabled 10 build up her army and
navy utterly disproportlonate to her g.
00o.00 inhabitants. She is constantly
reaching out and encroaching upon the
boundaries of her neighbors with a view
to charging her own territory. Her
course, next to the internal revolutions
in the various kepubIcs is the most
damaging factor in preventing the in
dustrial progress of the continent
All the lesser Republics particularly
Peru, Bolivia. Colombia. Paraguay. and
Uruguay, are anxious that the strong
hand of the United States shall exert an
influence for arbitration and peace. These
nations do not want the old World idea
of the nation at arms TO get a fOothOld
ia this hemisphere Chile does. Chlie
wants to rule by force. The old Spanish
idea is stronger There than anywhere else.
Chile knows that the United States
favOrS a scheme for general arbitration
two Americas. The other Latin Republics
also are in favor of this plan They have
expressed their Willingness to attend the
Pan-American Congress to be held in the
City Of Mexico next summer. but Chile
has based her consent upon the condition
that no plan affecting the international
relations Of South American Republics
shall be authoritatiVeiy nut forth in the
congress. She does not want to be put
in position of refusing to agree to such
plan in case it should come before the
u CHI. gl.
that no such embarrassment may be
forced upon her.
The United States will do well to keep
their eyes on Chile. They have had trou-
bic with her once before, and they are
likely TO have trouble with her again.
Her hostile spirit toward this country
however. has been possibly a blessing in
disguise because ii has tended to throw
into the arms of the United States all
those who hate Chile. Chile hates the
United States. and therefore those who
hate Chile love the United States.
''ChileS threatening attitude has been
felt all through South America. Her
enormous outlay for the elements OF war
has compelled a prUpOrtiOnaJe acquisition
by the other Republics. The Argentine
Reuublic has spent during the last ten
10 respect her rights and territory Al
ready we are able to perceive the train of
evil consequences following this armed
peace regime.
..,The naturalization of the other Repub-
lies the absorption Of the small States
by the more powerful ones. the form
ing of offensive and defensive alliances
the adoption Of protectOrates are all fol-
lowing as the last resources of the weak
or States to protect themselves from con-
quest. Heavy taxes, obligatory military
service, and standing armies are not only
threatening republican institutions
through the increase in the Importance
of the military career but they are re
tarding the proper economic and indus
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