The sun., 1903-11-13
THE END OF THE ACRE DISPUTE.

IN OCpODeT OF ld3U year VIio uo"uAoSAy -"
ing that has called attention to Acre since
1890 was still In progress. Happily. moous
vivendi was established In February last as
preliminary to negotiations between braI Il
and Bolivia: and It was agreed that II the
representatives Of these republics could not
reach an amioable conclusion the matter
should be submitted to arbitration.
The negotiations were carried on in hio
de Janeiro and resulted last week In the sign
ing Of treaty which when formally ratiieo
by the two Governments, Will settle the
quarrel. The Government OF BOLIVIA on
consenting to the negotiations, was faVora-
bly, impressed with the suggestions pro-
posed by Brazil AZ n working basis. these
were that Brazil should give Bolivia financial
compensation to relinquish her claims upon
tho disputed territory and also insure her
an outlet for her products to the sea by way
of the Mateira and Amazon rivers
The settlement proposed by Brazil was
a,thorltatively made public in August last
and is probably included, In It's substantial
features, IN the treaty now agreed upon
Brazil was willing to pay Bolivia IS 100000
to esree to a boundary between the two
countries along the parallel Of 10 degr ees
leave all Of the disputed part Of the Acre or
Aquiry River basin In Brazil and che would
build railroad TO the Madeira River and
conoede the right Of Bolivia to Use these
land and water routes for the transportation
OF her trade to and from the Atlantic.
Rubber as we'll as gold he's shown its
potency to stir up boundary disputes. The
treaty of 1857 between Brazil and Bolivia,
tn, only boundary treaty that has existed
between them, would not have been dis
turbed or questioned II a source OF wealth
in remarkable supply had not been discov-
cred in the basin Of the Acre River. Within
the past fifteen years the rubber trees along
the lower ANA zon for about thousand
miles have been pretty well worked out.
There Is still plenty Of rubber ava y from the
river banks, but the collectors have not yet
consented to go back into the country for 1t.
They have preferred to work their way up
the river and it's tributaries thus they as
cended the Purus tributary and from 1t
reached the Acre River, which was found to
be surprisingly rich in rubber trees There
was at once large influx Of Brazilians.
and the present population, almost entirely
Brazilian, Is 10000 or more and by some
persons Is estimated as high as 10000.
It was discovered In 1899, when Bolivia
first took steps to occupy the region, that the
two nations could not agree upon the inter-
probation of the treaty; and that Brazil was
much disturbed by the efforts Of Bolivia to
coeroe the citizens Of Brazil who had dis
covered the rubber and were developing
the industry. The misunderstanding was
later aggravated by Bolivia's concession OF
large rubber and other interests to citizens
Of our country; and the situation became
bewilderingly involved when the Brazilians
on the ground. finding that their own ooun-
try did not send single soldier to their sup
port, decided to set up republic on their
own account. Brazil has never sent cor
poral's guard into the Acre territory, though
It threatened to do 30 about the close Of 1902,
and probably would have kept its word II
the modus vivendi had not been arranged.
A way out Of the trouble seems to have
been found at last. Bolivia receives valu-
able concessions and Brazil keeps the dis
puted territory. The Republic Of Acre.
which existed chiefly on paper, will occupy
very few lines In history.