The Cordova daily times., 1922-01-18
REQUESTS CONFERENCE AT
 WASHINGTON FIN EFFORT TO % ~~' ~~ V
 END AGE OLD CONTROVERSY

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-The Amer ican government has intervened in the controversy between Chile and Peru involving execution of the treaty of Ancon and has invited the two govern ments to send plenipotentiaries to Washington for a conference.
 The problem of the Pacific as the 40 years old controversy between Peru and Chile is known, has been considered the most grave, if not the only, menace of war in South America. It brought about at one time the severance of diplomatic and even consular relations between those countries and has been the cause, of costly "armed peace" not only for Peru and Chile, but as result, for their neighboring countries, Argen- tine, Bolivia and Ecuador. It has con- cerned the United States also for it involves trouble for the Ameri- can interest which have been more and more engaged in important con- mercial enterprises in both countries.
 The disputed territory of Tacna and Africa comprises about 96.000 square miles with population of about 45,0OO. There is little farming, no manufacturing and but little min ing interest other than nitrate.
 Briefly stated the case Is this The treaty of Ancon of 1884, which put an end to the war of the Pacific be- tween Peru and Chile, stipulated the cession to Chile of the Peruvian province of Tarapaca in perpetuity and cession of the provinces of Tacna and Africa for ten years. at the expiration of which plebiscite was to have been held to determine whether they desired to stay under the control of Chile or to pass again under the sovereignty of Peru. The treaty did not establish the rules and form in which the plebiscite was to be held.
 When the ten years had elapsed, the parties could not agree on the terms of the p1ebiscite. The Chileans insisted upon having control of the voting and upon a vote for the Chill cans who had taken up residence in the two provinces in recent years, while the Peruvians would not ac- cept either demand and contended that only the population from Tacna and Africa could vote. Arbitration by the king of Spain was proposed by Peru, but no decision was reached
 These discussions were on for 27 years. In 1921 the government of Peru accused Chile of "Chileanizing" the disputed provinces, meaning by that alleged prosecutions and expul- sion of the Peruvian clements, clos ing of Peruvian schools and news papers. This the Chilean government denied. The situation eliminated in Peru breaking off its diplomatic rela- tions with Chile.
 When the World war ended, Peru, which was an associated power" again brought up it's case and, as soon as the Versailles Treaty was signed, disavowed the Ancon Treaty, claiming as precedent the return to France of Alsace and Lorraine.
 The case was submitted by Peru to the League of Nations in it's first session Bolivia, which had be- come a third party in the dispute, introduced it at the second session of the League Consideration of the question by the league was op- posed by the Chilean delegation and it was finally sent to the study of committee.
 Bolivia which, together with, Peru had been defeated in the war of the Pacific, ceded to Chile the province of Antofagasta by the treaty of 1902 and this left her without an outlet to the sea. When the Versailles treaty was signed, Bolivia, pointing to the cases of Poland and Jugo- slavia, asked that Africa be given to her to provide her with port in the Pacific. Both Chile and Peru opposed this. Subsequently Bolivia changed its claim to the effect that the treaty of 1902 be declared null and Antofagasta returned to her.
 This was the situation until Decem-