The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-23
NEW ARMY MARCHING ON ACRE
BOLIvIA'S THIRD ATTEMPT TO
WIN THE RUBBER REGION.
Bis Export Duties the stake for which
She and Brazil Are Piaytng-The Acre
People Amused by the War-One
Army Captured With Drink Already.


Army Captured With Drink Already.
Bolivia has fitted out her third expedi-
ton against the so-called Republic Of Acre.
Her two previous campaigns were in the
nature of opera bouffe enterprises. ex-
citing the derision even OF the handful Of
people against whom they were directed,
She sent on the second expedition, for
example. "a few hundred Indians of all ages.
who did not know how to handle guns.
could not comprehend the orders OF their
officers and were in need Of food and half
dead with fever long before they reached
the disputed territory. Those who did not
die on the road were seduced by the hui
morous people Of Acre upon their arrival
with copious quantities Of sugar cane al
cohol; in fact the Acreites kept the Bolivian
army in q state of int xication as long al
il remained In the country.
The white residents OF tho new republic
have not taken Bolivian hostilities very
| seriously. They were somewhat annoyed.
to he sure, for the menaces Of the Bolivian
Government interfered with their colleo-
ton Of rubber. They are in the country
to collect rubber and for nothing else.
One day while the Bolivians were In the
land the revolutionists Of Acre heard Of .
fresh supply Of rubber In the upper region
Of the Acre or Aquiry River, as II IL COM
monty known. They did not stop 10 hght,
but Il, out for the new rubber grounds In
search Of the precious rubber trees. Being
| an eminently practicable people they do
not wish war to interfere wit h their money
| making pursuits. ..r
They grew, however, very tired Of Bo-
livia's annoying attentions, and. convinced
that II would cost them dear to stop rubber
collecting and 60 TO fighting. they ap-
parently became resigned for Q time to BE-
cassed as Boivians. The pacihcation Of
Acre was illusory and Bolivia Ii now going
to try again TO maintain her authority
over the disputed region.
The fact il that nobody knows whsther
this comparatively small region along the
Acre River Is Brazilian or Bolivian territory :
| The question cannot be settled until the
upper courses OF certain rivers, which
| figure In the Treaty of 1887, defining the
boundary, are surveyed Up to the present
| time no exact determination OF the boundary
| line has been made.
After the Brazilians had pretty well
| worked out the rubber trees along the
banks OF the Amazon for 900 miles from
the sea, they assembled the Purus and Its
tributary, the Aquiry, and discovered the
| rich rubber district Of the latter region.
| For some years past 1t has been developed
by Brazilian capital and has also attracted
| American capital, and the country now
contains about six thousand rubber hunters.
most Of whom are laborers brought into
| that region from far down the Amazon.
Nearly all the men OF standing and i'm
AnanOa n Rra viliana IL thav VI hn
settled and developed the region and it
was quite natural perhaps, in view Of the
uncertain position of the boundary line.
| that Brazil should begin to treat the coun-
| try as part Of her possessions.
Meanwhile, the Bolivians woke Up upon
hearing that there was a very rich rubber
region along the Aquiry River. They
| declared that the territory belonged to
| them. OF course they wanted to fix an
| export tax upon all rubber sent out OF tho
| country.
Brazil also imposes an export tax on
| rubber. and as the water routes to Manaos
and Para are the only practical way Of get
| ting the rubber out Of the country. the rub
Der collectors were threatened with the
| pleasing prospect Of paying export duties
to two different countries on the same
commodity.
This had the effect greatly TO stimulate
| the patriotic feeling Of the Acreites. They
| decided that as they lived In a sort OF No
Mans Land they had better declare their
independence Of the neighboring nations
and set up in the political business on their
own account. The Republic Of Acre was
| the result.
Brazil did not seem to care very much.
She was quite certain to collect the export
duties in any event Moreover she may
have thought that her title to the territory
might not hold and therefore she winked
at the establishment Of the republic A
nearly all the inhabitants Of the country
are Brazilians II may be better for Brazil.
II she cannot hold the country. to have ID
converted into a republic.
In other words. Bolivia has been acting
as II her rights In the country were well
determined, which is not the case. for it il
not certain that, under the boundary treaty,
Bolivia Is entitled to any part Of this rubber
region. Brazil, on the other hand, Ia not
asserting that Acre is part Of her territory
and is at present exercising much care to
prevent any goods from passing throu Oh
Brazilian territory into Acre unless they
pay customs duties to her
Though the Acre region Is close to. II
! not part OF Bolivia while 1t Ia 1000 miles
| from the mouth Of the Amazon. It Is COM
paratively easy to communicate through the
great waterways with the seaboard States
| Of Brazil but exceedingly difficult to hold
communications with the settled parts Of
| Bolivia.
II is said that the new expedition which
| is to march from La Paz to Acre will be at
least four months on the way. II will be
| a very trying march, too. through road
| less and in part fever stricken country.
1t is not at all certain that the Bolivians
| will be able to establish their supremacy
| over Acre; and II they do succeed the ulti-
mate survey Of the boundary line would
| perhaps upset all their pretensions. 1t
would probably be more sensible for Bolivia
| to insist first upon delimitation Of the
| boundary and to keep her invading force at
| home until certain that her cause ia right
/