The Republican journal., 1919-03-27
CHILE AND PERU.

CHILE AND PERU.
Chile is a country about 1000 miles
long and has an average width of little
more than 100 miles. 1t has an area
about Is times that of the State of Maine
and a population of about 5000, 900, of
which 1900 900 are whites, 2, l00,0 900 are
mestizos and 400, 600 are Indians. Mes
tizos means mixture of races resulting
from the intermarriage of Spanish or
Portuguese with natives. Peru has
length of about 1000 miles and sufficient
width to give the country an area about
20 times that of Maine. 1t has popula-
ton of 100000, of these 200 are
whites, 1900, 900 mestizos, 100000 In
dams and about 400, 900 who are not clas-
sified The boundary line between these
two countries is not more than $50 miles
long and the northern part of Peru is
4200 miles distant from the southern
part of Chile. There is very little ex-
change of communication between the
two countries and nine-tenths of the peo-
pie of either country know little, if any
thing, about the inhabitants of the other,
by personal contact, except in war. One
would suppose that countries having such
populations such as are found in Chile
and Peru would have abundant oppor-
tunities to satisfy all desire for warfare,
in controlling their own internal affairs
and holding in check their own savage,
nomadic and half-civlized people. But
in 1879 war was declared between these
two countries, Chile was the victor and
treaty of peace was made in 1888 I'm
der the terms of this treaty Peru gave up
forever all claim to Tarapaca, one of her
provinces, which is about three fifths the
area of our State In addition, Peru was
required to give Chile the provinces of
Tarca and Areca for control and occupa-
ton for a period of ten years. At the
expiration of that time the people of
these two provinces were to be allowed
to decide by vote whether they should
thereafter be Chilean or Peruvian. 1t
was also agreed that the country which
gained the provinces by vote should pay
the losing country $4,000, 900 silver dol
lars In 1893, the date fixed for the cleo
ton, the two powers could not agree as
to who should vote, or as to the manner
of voting There was also a disagree
ment as to the time and terms of the
payment of the indemnity. Peru tried
to have the election held, but Chile being
in possession of the provinces, regarded
the treaty as scrap of paper and, as the
saying IS, sat tight" The ruling classes
IN each country have been hurting cpl
thets aud shaking fists at each other since
then with periodic vehemence since 1893,
and, for several months, the two coun-
tries have seemed to be on the verge of
actual war The United States and also
some of The South American republics
have offered their services as mediators
or arbitrators, but their offers have not
been accepted. The United States and
Europe would have no great commercial
interest in the quarrel between Chile and
Peru were it not for the nitrate deposits
in the territory taken from Peru and in
dispute. These mtrates are of great value
and are much needed in the United States
and III many nations of Europe The
possession of these nitrate deposits al
one time came near to being the primary
cause of an international crisis in which |
we would have been seriously involved. |
In the situation today there are danger
Monroe Doctrine it is more than probable |
that Tarapaca, Iarca and Areca would |
now be under European control 1t is no
secret that England wants these nitrate
beds. 1t is no secret that one fifth of
the tin ore Of the world is mined in b. /!
liyia and that the output in concentrates
gees to England to be smelted and re-
fined The only route from Bolivia to |
the sea is across the lands involved in |
in the dispute between Chile aid Peru. /!
If this dispute is to be settled by a league !
of nations who knows what will happen? |
The United States will be only minority !!
part of the league. Europe will be the !
Europe because sne will have pressures /
and influences which the United States
cannot have.
THE CTECH.SI ONAKC