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

station in salvador.
A despatch appeared recently in the
| American newspapers to the effect that
Chile had opened negotiations with Sal
vador to obtain n 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 oil
| the Nicaragua Canal. This belief is also
entertained by citizens of other South
American Republics. and to them 1t seems
a matter of the gravest importance.
| Chile is not popular nation on her own
continent. She has been called the bully
of South America. Her people are strong.
| forceful. energetic and ambitious, and
with a tendency to militarism which has
made them feared by their rival Repub-
lies These rivals see in this tendency
| to expansion new danger to themselves.
Peru and Bolivia naturally have the
greatest fear because they have already
felt the oppressive hand of the conluering
| 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 heartburning
which time has done little to ease because
the terms of peace. entered into at the
close of the war. left much to be settled
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 eNacted from the conquered coun-
tries. she is steadily refusing to do what
she promised
Whether that be true or not. Chile is in
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 to her as part
of her war indemnity.
1t is estimated by Peruvians that the
amount of export duty collected on salt
petre and iodine from these two provinces
from 1873 to 1899 is more than 1850. 900 900.
The entire indemnity from the two Re
publics is estimated at S3,0000O0,O00, and
this enormous sum, not paid in bulk, but
coming in annual instalIments. is being
applied by the Chiieans almost exclusive
" to the development of their naval and
military strength.
Peru and Bolivia. on the other hand,
are correspondingly 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 internal
tional politics. She is not arming herself
against Peru and Bolivia. although it 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 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
or events in his own continent, told a re-,
porter porter, recently that there was less
United States in Chile than in any Of the
etheI Latin Republics.
Chile he SAID, lis pro-Spanish in her
sympathy She resents Anglo-Saxon
dom N lion
American affairs. Her ambition is to
form a union of all South Americana
countries under the tuteage 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
navy utterly disproportlonate to her g.
100000 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 kepubncs. is the most
damaging factor in preventing the in
dustrial progress of the continent
An 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 n foothold
in this hemisphere. Chile does Chile
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
over all International difficulties in the
two Americas. The other Latin Republics
also are in favor of this plan. They have
expressed their willingness to attend the
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 /
of South American Republics
shall be authoritatively put forth in the I
congress. She does not want to be put
in a position of refusing to agree to such /
a plan in case it should come before the /
congress and so she asks for a guarantee {
that no such embarrassment may be |
forced upon her.
The United States will do well to keen /
their eyes on Chile. They have had trou- !
BILE 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 ]
nited States, and therefore those who (
hate Chile love the United States.
"Chile's threatening attitude has been |
felt all through South America. Her /
enormous outlay for the elements of war /
has compelled "A prupOrtonate acquisition !
by the other Republics. The Argentine !
Republic has spent during the last ten
Years $500 900 in order 10 compel Chile !
to respect her rights and territory Al !
ready We are able to perceive the train of |
evil consequences following this armed |