The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-12-23

concession has come to light through
the final settlement of the famous
'Alsop Claim"-a claim of an Ameri-
can company against Chile which
has dragged its weary course through
third of century. During that
time it has been the subject of end
less wrangle between the Chillian
government and our State depart
ment.
Its course toward adjustment has
been beset by wars. And that it has
at length been happily drawn to an
amicable conclusion by the accept
ance of King Edward of Great Brit
ain as arbiter, is due to the energetic
efforts of q Peruvian woman, now liv-
ing in England, who demanded repa-
ration when the heirs of the other
claimants had, apparently, lost inter-
est in the great litigation bequeathed
them by their sires.
The Alsop claim goes back to 1876
Eight men formed the original COM
pany which secured concessions from
Bolivia, the rights to which have been
| in dispute. OF these eight, but one
now lives. He is an old man. The
original claim upon Chile, which as
sumed the obligations Of Bolivia,
amounted to about $1,000,000. Inter.
est at the rate of per cent for a
third of century is also claimed,
as we'll as approximately $1,500,000.
! The claim has grown until now 1t
amounts to something like S3,500,000.
A NEAR-WAR CAUSE.
| South American pecularities of law
have served to Throw obstacles in the
way of settlement. At one time diplo-
matte relations between the United
States and Chile were practically sus-
pended because of it, and once, at
! least, the American charge d'affaires
was on the eve of recall when Chile
agreed to a protocol. There are now
about 40 heirs of the eight partners,
many of them living in New England.
| Nine. Therese Provost, widow of the
brother of one of the original claim
ants, who now lives in England, but
who is at present in the United
States, is responsible for the arbitra-
tion of the great claim.
The Alsop company was composed
of Joseph w. Alsop of Connecticut,
Edward Mccall of Philadelphia, Geo.
J. Foster, Theodore w. Riley of New
York. Henry S. Provost, John Wheel,
wright of Newburyport, Mass; George
Frederick Hoppin of Rhode Island and
Henry Chauncey of New York. The
latter is the only one of the com
pany alive. The company had capi'
tai of $600,0 in gold, and four OF
the partners advanced $4O0 900 more
The claim had origin in certain
transactions between the government
of Bolivia and one Pedro Lopez Cana
he 80 which oly ~
ed to the government of Bolivia
large sums of money Bolivia recog
nizing itself obligated therefor to the
value of 100000 tons of guano. Cana
had secured the money so advanced
from Alsop & Co.
HERE BEGINS THE TANGLE.
In order to meet his Indebtedness
to the company for the money ad
vanced to him, Cana, in 1875, assign
ed to Alsop G. Co., his rights against
the government of Bolivia, the assign
ment being recognized by that gov
ernment. And Bolivia has always rec
ognized it.
The Bolivian government in 1876
entered into certain contracts with
Alsop & Co., through John Wheel
wright, its liquidator, by the terms
of which Bolivia agreed pay to the
company $4,000 bolivianos, equiva
lent to about $S05,000 at that time
with interest at 8 per cent and recog
nized also as interest already accru
ed an additional sum, equivalent tc
about s2S2,OO0.
Provision was made for the pay
ment of this obligation partly by the
hypothecation of percentage of the
!, Bolivian customs receipts collected al
, africa. Certain government lines were
also leased to the Alsop company fol
25 years.
Then came the war between Chile
on the one hand, and Peru and Bolivia
on the other. At the close of the wal
in 1881, Chile. emerging the victor
compelled Bolivia to make an ar
rangement for the distribution of the
africa customs receipts, which ignor
ed and destroyed the rights therein
possessed by the Alsop company.
The mines which had been leased
to the firm were located in the Boliv
ian Littoral. The war put this terri
tory under the control of Chile. Chile
Immediately applied to this territory
provisions of the Chilean law, differ