Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-05-20
.TACNA ROW TESTS
. j. S. PEACEMAK|NG
Settlement May Establish
Nations Prestige in World
Mediation.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Americas resourcefulness as a me-
diator is being taxed to the utmost
in the unprecedented situation which
has led Chile and Peru to endeavor
to settle their dispute of more than
thirty years standing.
Theoretically Chile and Peru are
negotiating directly. the United
States is merely offering it's "atmos-
phere and good WILL" but this is
merely the preliminary. Everybody
knows and has known that the public
opinion of Chile and Peru. respec-
lively. has been famed into such
intensity of feeling over the dispute
that a direct settlement unassisted
by the friendly advice of outside
powers is improbable.
The deadlock is still the same as it
was. Chile insists that the treaty
of Ancon is unfulfilled. Peru de-
clares a referendum should nave
been taken In 1884 to determine the
ownership of the provinces of Tacna
and africa. and since 1t wasn't taken
the whole treaty is invalid. And SO
the controversy goes.
There is no new angle. no new sug-
gestion of equitable arrangement
approved by the other. The two pow
ers are tired of the constant con-
troversy and want settlement. They
have reached the stage where they
would welcome some compromise
from that tas oefaee oeher sde can aord
reject. That's where Americas op-
portunity arises.
Shantung HaREle Recalled.
Japan and China haggled for three
years over the Shantung question
They started direct negotiations again
and again, but never got anywhere.
Finally the United States and Great
Britain conceived the idea of bring
ing the parties together in Washing
ton ostensibly for direct settlement.
but in reality for mediation. The dis
pute was settled satisfactorily.
The same situation has developed
between Chile and Peru. The dele
gates are already trying direct nego-
tiations and will soon reach the dead
lock Of past conferences. Then Amer
crete plan or a proposal for arbitra-
tion which, if accepted. would mean
that both sides were committed In ad-
vance to accept the award of the ar
bitration tribunal.
American good faith. American fair
ness and judicial ability will be tested
in the Chle-Peru conference. There
is prestige and good favor waiting
the United States il it settles the con-
flict satisfactorily to both sides
There Is ill-will waiting If America
state Of the United states happens to
be a former justice Of the Supreme
Court of the United States. His ju-
dicial mind is being applied to the
dispute, which Is essentially a task
for the legal mind, anyhow.
seIAshneas Suspected.
For years the Monroe doctrine, con-
ceived as a means Of preventing Eu-
ropean aggression In this hemisphere.
has been so variously interpreted and
developed that Americas designs in
Latin America have not been viewed
as altruistic, despite the protestations
of her statesmen.
Chile in particular has through Dip
lomatic channels shown on more than
one occasion a fear that the United
States was adopting a big brother at
titude for selfish and not unselfsh
reasons. Peru has played a little
more closely to American policy. But
Chile's doubts are the same doubts as
other South American nations have
expressed.
The opportunity of the United
States in the premises is to show
that she is interested in the peace
and welfare of countries far distant
from her own boundaries and that
she is willing to stop in the midst of
its intense absorption in. other prob
lens to lend a voice of counsel and