The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-12-23
Story Of Alsop Chilia,1 Claim
Reaching It's Closing Chapter
King Edward Has Accepted Position as Referee
Only One Of Eight Original Claimants
Now Living, Amount is Sc, 100000.

ing widely from the Bolivian law,
with respect to the holding of mining
claims etc, which practically de-
stroyed the private property rights
that the Alsop company had secured
from Bolivia.
CLAIM NOT PRESSED UNTIL 1892.
From the close of the war until
1892 the United States refrained from
pressing upon the consideration OF
Chile the question of the settlement
of American claims. Chile then had
to face war claims of European citi-
ems and others, and seems to have
had her hands full
| Meanwhile, the protocol between
Bolivia and Chile of 1891 had specifi-
cally provided that the government of
Chile would take charge of and as
sumo the payment of certain Bolivian
obligations, among them the Alsop
claim. The protocol specified the
amount of this claim as $4,000 bo-
livianos, and mentioned that the sum
drew interest at per cent.
Chile, in 1882, as diplomatic CORE
| spondence shows, stated in a note to
the American legation that the Chile
an government had specifically under
taken to pay this claim, and would
| pay it.
Then began some correspondence,
State department promptly refused
Chile first offered $343,542, but the
| this. After "a lapse of several months
Chile offered $4,000, and at this the
State department became very dignl-
fed, reminding the debtor that twice
this amount had already been refused
and that. instead of growing smaller,
the claim was steadily increasing and
that further offers of this sort would
be considered as showing a lack of
good faith.
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS.
The negotiations had been prosecut-
ed to this stage by the last admins
tration under Secretary Root. Chile
was requested to furnish to this gov
ernment the evidence or documents
upon which it relied to justify it's
course. The matter was then taken
up by Secretary Knox. Chile seemed
under obligations to do one of two
things, either arbitrate the question
or make an equitable cash settlement
Mr. Dawson, the American Minister
to Chile, took to Santiago with him
elaborate instructions, and delivered
to the Chilean government shortly az.
ter his arrival a long note fully sett.
ing forth the views of this government
and requesting cash settlement or
|. the reference of the whole matter to
The Hague.
Twice Mr.. Dawson and the Minister
for Foreign Affairs reached an agree,
ment on satisfactory form of arbi
tration protocol, neither form, how.
. ever, being satisfactory to the Chile
an President and cabinet. Mr. Daw'
= son returned to the United States
! and Mr.. Pierrepont was left as Charge
d'Affaires.
, Finally Mr.. Pierrepont was told
| that, if within a reasonable time, he
could not get a settlement of the case
it would seem that the American lie
cation in Santiago was mot useful
J and that he had better come home
Suspension of diplomatic relations
at this time, it would appear, was
very close, although there was nc
: ultimatum in the diplomatic sense OF
the word, no giving Of passports, etc
: Mr.. Pierrepont was to leave Nov. 28
He did not leave.
CHILE TAKES NOTICE.
/ Chile "came across" with a sugges
: ton that the claim be referred tc
; Brazil as an "amiable compositeur.'
! This proposition was not accepted
: and, it appearing that Chile desired
to arrange for a settlement, and hav
ing been led to believe that British
: good Offices would be fayorably con
!, sidered, this government drafted 6
protocol to submit the whole con
: troversy to King Edward VII, Chile
, agreed. On Dec. the protocol was
} signed, and the long fight for the pay
t ment of the Alsop claim was at ar
} end it having been announced recent
: ly that King Edward would accept
Chile, to show perhaps that not the
money involved, but the dignity OF
/ her laws with respect to mining
: claims had kept her from the payment
of the claim for SO long, deposited
: with the Rothchilds $1,000,0G0. Some
} interesting questions must be settled
: by King Edward, questions vitally
/ affecting the amount to be paid tc
the Alsop company heirs" In 1876
the boliviano was worth 96h cents
: American gold. Now it is worth
: something less than 40 cents.