New-York tribune., 1903-02-09
THE WAR IN ACRE.

r,,o-s s-or, pr.z1 and Bolivia publish particu-
lars which are Of aid in UNDERSTANDING t'e
events in Acre as reported in capie dlspa'e'ies
AS early as January the newspapers at Aiaho'
announced tIat the Acre forces had captured the
town Of Costa Rica after having defeated the 80
Iivians and that Placido de Castro had oesun 'ne
siege of Porto Alfonso A dispatch ohteu
ruarv 5 from Rio de Janeiro. said that the Brazil
ian forces under Colonel Hanez had captured Foi'o
Alfonso and taken three hundred prisoners, "ho
u-ere sent to Manaos where they were released
by the Governor 1t may be that Coionel fiacH'
do Castro, the military chief or the acle ioic0''
had been replaced by Colonel hanez. put hei'iei
of then, belonged to the regular Brazilian army
detachment of troops from Brazil was repo'teu "
have been sent lately to the scenes OF ac''oh. ou.
It could not have arrived there at the GATE OF
the capture OF Porto Alfonso.
The fight in Acre which began three years ago
when the inhabitants revoted against BohFia anu
established with Luis Calves, republic, which was
overthrown by the Bolivans has been carried on
by Brazilian settlers but not by any regular bra
ziIan soldiers II the government Of Rio de 'aheiro
Is now compelled TO take q hand in the Acre ques-
ton it is mainly to protect the thirty thousaho
Brazii,ans who work in the rubber forests ana
complain of being vctimized by the Bolivian ON
cjals sent by the government of La Paz MORE
ever there is pending question OF soIercis"'y
over the territory between Brazil and BoiiVla anu
there is also on the part of the former opposition
TO the lease of Acre to an Anglo-American sEhul-
cate which would be gigantic competitor Win
the Brazilian settlers in the rubber business
The syndicate some of whose members have ar
rived at Para, has. the papers from Brazil say
pushed already as far Manaos. There, IL was
impossible for them to charter a steamer when
would have taken them further up the Amazon
River toward Acre, for the shipowners OF the place
suspected that the workmen. mechanics etc. VINO
accompanied the syndicate committee were only ols-
g1ised soldiers The Brazilian settlers of the Acre
region. and their merchant countrymen Of Manaos
and Para who have monopoly In handling the
precious gum, afraid that the alleged soldiers
would enforce the lease contracts and other ar
rangements by which the Bolivian officials are
said have conceded to the syndicate large tracts
of forest land already occupied by the settlers
II would have been possible to arrange peacefully
these questions of land development. especially when
the Baron de Rio-Branco. the Minister of
Foreign Affairs IN Brazil, is Offering to Bolivia
"modus Yivend" and funds to indemnify the
Anglo American syndicate for cancelling the lease
contract But bad blood has been stirred ON ac-
count of the treatment by Bolivians OF the Brazil
ians, armed unarmed. At least. such are the
stories published in the papers. especially those
from the State Of AmaZonas. stories which have
been confirmed by the affidavits of a Bolivian lieu
tenant Abal Nasques, I'm public communication.
Vasques had been made A prisoner by the Acredn
revoutionist, and he was treated kindly, as were
also Colonel Rojas and the several hundred OF
Boliyians captured at Acre. They were sent down
the river by steamer 10 ManaoS, and thence to Rio
order to return to Bolivia Colonel Rosendo Rojas
declared TO several reporters of different papers
that his captor the Acrean colonel Placdo Castro,
had been very kind to him and his men. and cable
dispatches say that the Bolivian prisoners taken
two days ago at Porto Alfonso and sent to Manaos
were released Immediately by the Governor. On the
contrary. the papers in Brazil published lately
communications signed by several names of citizens
in the name of the Acreans. stating the partcu-
lars of the shooting of Brazilian settlers. who were
not implicated in any revolutionary movement and
whose bodies thrown into the river. near Tel
kiro 1t appears also that Brazilian traders capt
ured in battle shot. This caused the Baron
de Rio Branco to send to General Pando. the
Bolivian President the march to Acre.
letter stating that Brazil Will not tolerate the
shooting of its citizens residing in Acre and
rolled in the revolutionary army.