The Washington herald., 1922-09-06
DENIES THAT PERU =
BROKE CONTRACTS

Santiago +. Redoya. secretary of
the Peruvian Embassy, expressed
astonishment yesterday at the
charges of Mrs. Rosemary c. Spark
man that the Peruvian government
had broken contracts with Amer
lean teachers employed to reor-
Canize the education system of the
Republic. These charges appeared
in Tuesdays Herald. In a letter to
The Herald Mr.. Redoya says:
Il wish to refer to the article
which appears in your issue of to-
day. entitled. Peru lacks money to
pay salaries to United States teach
ers," sent by a Mrs. Rosemary C.
Sparkman. who is. so you state, in
an Introductory explanation. one of
the teachers Of the National College
of San Carlos at Puno, Peru. and
the wife of DR.. Sparkman, mem
ber of the commission of American
educators in Peru.
"A number of American teachers
were engaged for service in Peru
through DR.. Harry E. Bard. the
special commissioner of the min
istry of education, so the embassy.
therefore. is not in a position to
determine whether DR.. and Mrs.
Sparkman were among the number
so contracted for. nor whether eth
er has the authority to make a
statement of the gravity of that
to which exception is taken.
The embassy can. however. au-
thoritatively state that the Peruvi-
commissioner. engaged the service
e of A pnarinan 70
and that each and every one of
them has been paid their salaries
with scrupulous punctuality. not
withstanding the serious economical
situation of the country, due to
financial adjustment consequent on
the great war. a condition which
was not confined solely to Peru
but which, as is well known. was
practically worldwide.
Contracts in Peru are as bind
ing and are as faithfully carried
out as everywhere else, in proof
Of which I would point out that
the Peruvian government released
the teachers who wished, for diff
ferent reasons, to return to the
United States. from their contracts
and Immediately granted them the
pecuniary compensation stipulated
in their agreements.
although II would appear to
be an unnecessary statement. JUS
tice exists in Peru as it does in
every other civilized nation. where
the rights of the individual are re-
spected and safeguarded by the
proper authorities: while foreign
citizens. and especially Americans
for whom the government has re-
peatedly shown its consideration
and regard-secure immediate, and.
indeed, preferential consideration in
any appeal which they may have
to make. As an instance. I might
mention the contracts of the Amer
lean Naval Mission to Peru. which
have just been renewed for a fur
ther term; and those entered into
with the members of the mission
for the reorganization of the
finances and customs. In view of
which antecedents. II is difficult to
understand upon what grounds Mrs.
Sparkman founds her accusation, for
the definite clearing up of which
am requesting cabled informa-
ton from my government. which
I shall be happy to communicate
upon receipt.
owing to the absence from the
city of the Ambassador. and the urgent
necessity for denying the charges
made by Mrs. Sparkman. am com
PEELED to trouble you with the re-
quest to publish this letter, to which
hope you will give the same
prominence as that given to the
statements which made 1t neces-
sarv"