The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-09
BRAZIL GAINS POINT
GOVERNMENT WILL OCCUPY THE
ACRE TERRITORY.
PENDING A SETTLEMENT.
BOLIVIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE
AGREED TO THIS.

Bolivia VIII Probably Declare Null
Her Contract With the Anglo
American Syndicate for the Lease
of the Acre Territory, Thinks
Brazil's Minister - Syndicate VIII
Not be Unidentified by BraziI-UIti-
matum Issued by Brazil Seems to
Have Brought Results RevOIu-
tiOnists Treated Prisoners Nicely.
Rio Janeiro, Feb. S.-The Bolivian
government has replied to the Brazil
ian government agreeing to Brazilian
occupation and administration of the
Acre territory, pending the settlement
of the dispute. and offering to send a
minister plenipotentiary to Brazil, in
vested with full powers to negotiate
a settlement.
New York, Feb. 8.-Assis Brasil
minister from Brazil to the United
States, who is in this city, received a
cablegram from his government to-day
confirming the Rio Janeiro dispatch to
the Associated Press relative to the
dispute over the Acre territory in
South America.
Minister Basil said tonight: Il re-
ceived cable advices from my govern
ment to-day relative to the Acre mat
ter. The Brazilian government sent
an ultimatum to Bolivia in February
TO the effect that should Bolivia at
tempt to take possession of the dis
puted territory of Acre, Brazil would
occupy, and administer it, until rea-
sonable settlement of the whole dis
pute had been reached.
Il am informed by to-day's cable
gram from the Brazilian minister of
foreign affairs, Baron de Rio Branco,
that in answer to this ultimatum.
Bolivia has agreed TO the Brazilian
military occupation and administra-
ton of the contested territory of Acre
to the west of the Yaco river. The
Bolivian government advises us that
they are sending to Rio Janerio a
minister, with a special mission TO
reach a satisfactory solution by means
of an agreement, or by submitting the
dispute to arbitration, as Brazil her
self had proposed some days before.
Porto Acre, the last point in the
Acre territory, which was held by the
bolivian troops against the revolving
Brazilian inhabitants, was captured
by the reYolutionists under Placido
Castro on Jan. "a, says the cablegram
to me. Castro has been proclaimed
governor by the victorious revolution
lists and is ready to acknowledge Bra
lillian authority l am advised.
Prisoners Treated Well.
with the fall of Porto Acre there
were no Bolivians left in the whole ter
ritory, and the 300 Bolivian prisoners,
including Gov Romero and Coils. Con-
seco and Ibanez, the latter two wound
ed, have been sent by the revolutionists
to the Brazilian city of Manaos, capital
of the state of Amazonas. They have
reached there alright and are unani-
nous in acknowledging that they have
been treated with much kindness and
humanity. This is the substance of
my cable to-day.
81 will say there is every likelihood
that Bolivia will declare null her con-
tract with the Anglo American syndi-
cate for the lease of the Acre territory.
The occupation of the territory by Bra
zil and the notification, mean the end
of the dispute which has threatened
such serious consequences.
The minister was asked whether Bra
zil would give indemnity to the Anglo
American syndicate. THAT is not Bra
ziTs business" he replied, "since the
contract with the syndicate was made
by Bolivia, and not by Brazil. Brazil
has nothing to do with the syndicate,
not having dealt with it in any way. I"