The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-02-13

DdCd, CoNtIS an AREA VI toV,uuV W
the depth of % feet. This body of salt
is nearly pure, and contains more than
| Ia. 000, 100000 tons, or enough to sup
ply the worlds demands for many dec
AIDES. There are several other, deposits
in the interior that cover two or three
times the area of the above. :,
Admiral O'Higgins.
When questioned with regard to the
prominence of the Irish name 0'Higgins
| in Chilean history. the Minister replied
| that the Irshman was greatly beloved
| by his countrymen. who regarded him
as the George Washington of Chile He
was Chief of the Chilean
army during the war of independence,
the success of which they attribute
largely to him. They have given his
name to a Province and to one of their
ships as mark of appreciation of his
valuable services. The Minister ex-
pressed much interest in the movements
of our battleship fleet, and said it gave
his people genuine pleasure to do what
they could in making the visit of the
| fleet in Chilean waters one long to be
remembered by our officers and men.
The President of Chile is elected for six
years and is only allowed one term. The
present incumbent is His Excellency,
Senior Montt, who has about three years
more to serve.
Population.
In 1900 the population of Chile was
estimated at 100000, or about 10.7
per square mile. so it will be seen the
country is far from being thickly set
tied. About one-half of the population
resides in the cities. Santiago, the Cap
ital, has 1888 people Valparaiso,
the principal port, has 143,769. The
other cities are all under $4,000.
| .c
agement of the Government, has not
been extensive, with Spaniards. French,
Germans and Italians coming in some
thing like equal numbers.
| The Roman Catholic is the religion
of the State, is maintained by the Cen
eral Government, and the Constitution
provides that no other shall be publicly
| exercised, but this clause has been in
terpreted to mean the widest tolera-
ton. Marriage is taken from the con-
troll of the priests and made a civil
contract. Education is gratuitous and
at the cost of the State, but is not COM
pulsory. About 70 per cent of the con-
scripts in the army can neither read nor
write. Military service is obligatory on
| all, and every able-bodied Chilean is
compelled to serve from his 18th to his
45th year, the first year with the colors
and the rest In the reserves. The per-
|
1000 men. The naval establishment
is the largest in South America except
that of Argentine, and at present has
one battieship, two bclted cruisers and
two protected cruisers.
Finances.
Chilean finances have been In a very
/ unsatisfactory shape for years. Attic
the revenue from nitrate, duties, etc, is
| very large. The constant wars have
enormously increased the National debt
and the acquisition of Peru brought
about an extravaganza in public
expenditures. The country had ar
era of deprecated silver money
and then paper, and finally Chile
adopted the gold standard in 1895
when silver had deprecated to less thar
one-half it's face value. The Govern
ment is now trying to redeem its paper
money and put the country on SOUND
financial basis.
Il When the Spaniards arrived in PERI
they found the Araucanian Indians. :
Vigorous, warlike people, fnhabitine
what is now Chile. The 1ncas of PERI
had been fighting them, and the Span
iards Immediately took up this burden
which they found burden, indeed, ant
it was only after very hard fighting tina
tncy SeCuTeu HOiu upon TIC Couutiy
With the rest of the South American
countries, the Chileans refused to accep
Joseph, Napoleons brother, as King o
Spain, and began the war for independ
ence. which they prosecuted with vary
ing success from 1910 to 1917, whei
the army of O'Higgins, the patriots
leader, was successful and Chile's indie
pendence secured, aitho Spain did no
formally recognize this until 1874. Lik
/ ., pfv.tn
the Constitution Of the United State
was taken as the model for the Gov
eminent, but it was so modified as t
exclude virtually all but the large land
holders from participation in the Gov
eminent. AS Argentina expanded Their
arose trouble with that country over tn
boundary, and which several time
brought the two countries to the verg
of war. In 1885 q treaty was signe,
which gave Chile half of TERRA de
Fuego and the shores of the Strait o
Magellan, providing, however, for th
neutrality of the latter.
The great nitrate deposits in the Alta
CANA Desert, north of Chile, have beel
opened up by Chilean capital, blu
Chile's claims on the country were re
| sisted by Bolivia /and Peru. In 1877
war broke out between Chile and thes
: two countries, in which victory was VOL
| by the better disciplined and better led
tho numerically inferior, Chilean army
: The Peruvian battleship Huascar wa
, taken by the Chilean fleet, and at Do
lores, Nov. 10, 1879, the Chilean arm
virtually annihilated those of Peru AM
/ Bolivia. The war dragged on unit
J 1888, when Chile dictated a peace t.
the Peruvians. This gave Chile mos
of the territory in dispute, with tn
! provisional occupation of Tacna an
| africa, which Chile still continues t.
| hold, despite the protests of Peru. II
, 1891 war broke out between Presiden
, Balmaceda and his opponents in Con
gress.j The Congressionalists were sue
cessful, Balmaceda committed suicide
and Jorge Mont was elected his sue
lessor Our Government had sided will
!, Balmaceda, which caused much ill feel
ing in Chile, and a number of sailor!
from the United States steamship Bal
timore, on shore leave, were attacked
by. "a mob in Valparaiso and one of then
killed. This brought about strained re.
lations under President Harrison's AID
ministration, which finally ended with
the Chileans apolOgizing and paying
$4,000 for the benefits Of the injured
sailors.
/ Still After OleO.
i Stringent as the present laws are
against the manufacture and sale OF
lOIeomarparine thew still fail to SatjSf,