The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-09
The Tacna-Arica Question.

We are indebted 10 Mr. r. n. fezet. rlrst
Secretary Of the Legation Of Peru at WASH
ington. for an English version Of the ex-
haustive treatise entitled The Question Of
The Pdcirc, by DR.. VIcToR NJ. MAuRTUA. In
a volume of 800 pages il set forth the history
OF the successive and ultimately successful
attempts ma de by Chile 10 acquire the
| valuable nitrate deposits on the coast Of
the Pacific which originally belonged to
Bolivia and Peru. The facts are. Of course,
presented from the Peruvian point Of view,
but in almost every instance the authority
for the facts is given in the quoted text
Of treaties. or in statements and statistics
~emanating from Chilean sources, The prin-
cipal aim Of the treatise is 20 make known
TO the world the wrong which Peru has
suffered through Chile's violation Of the
Treaty OF Ancon, the article Of which re-
lating to the mortgaged provinces of 1acna
and africa should have been executed in
1894. With the help of the material col
lected by DR.. Maurtua, we shall here offer
an outline OF the Tacna and africa question,
which. for upward Of seven years, has been
discussed with vehemence at Santiago
and at Lima, and which still seems far
from settlement.
Let us first note the terms OF the original
agreement. On the Goth Of October. 1883,
at Ancon, a summer resort 10 the north OF
Lima, the plenipotentiaries Of Chile and
Peru signed a treaty. the third article Of
which ran as follows: THE territory Of
the provinces OF Tacna and africa, bounded
on the north by the river Sauna from its
source in the Cordilleras on the frontier
Of Bolivia 10 its mouth at the sea; on the
.-,,h -, ,ha canine md VtNar ratRQrnnAGs
on the cast by the Republic Of Bolivia.
and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. shall
continue In the possession of Chile, sub
ject to Chilean laws and authority during
a period Of ten years TO be reckoned from
the date ~ the Publications Of the present
treaty Of peac.. After the expiration Of
that term a plebiscitum shall decide by
popular vote whether the territories Of
the Aforementioned provinces shall re-
main definitely under the dominion and
sovereignty Of Chile, or continue 20 form
part Of Peru. That one Of the two countries
10 which the provinces Of Tacna and africa
shall remain annexed shall pay TO the
other ten millions of Chile silver dollars
or Peruvian soles Of the same weight n
fneness. A special protocol which shall
be considered as an integral portion Of the
present treaty, shall prescribe the manner
In which the plebiscitum is TO be carried out
and the terms and time for the payment
OF the ten millions by the nation which
mnv remain in possession of the provinces
of Tacna and AFRICA" Notifications of
this treaty by the Chilean Congress and by
the Peruvian National Assembly were
exchanged on the 2sth of March. 1884. II
follows that ten years thereafter, namely.
ON the 2Sth Of March, 1894, the article OF
the treaty which We have just re%producde
ought to have been executed.
In 1890 when as yet Chile's term of occu-
nancy had some four years to run, the Lima
Government preached the subject Of the
protocol and prepared for negotiations
that should eventually lead to the release
of Tacna and africa through u plebiscltiufn.
After a careful study of the subject had
been made the Peruvian Minister Of For
eipn Affairs on the 10th Of August, 1907.
addressed to tho Chilean plenipotcntiary
at Lima a note inviting him to discuss the
protocol called for by the treaty, and sub
hitting the bases Of an agreement. The
memorandum was founded on the assump-
ton that Chile had no desire TO acquire the
provinces of Tacna and AFRICA, and that the
tIo.o 900, 600 which Peru was to pay as ransom
might be exchanged for some commercial
concessions. Seven months later, namely,
on the sth Of April, 1893, the Chilean Minister
at Lima replied that IN the opinion Of his