Evening star., 1922-05-01

The National Capital soon is to have
a new and unusual experience in its
role as host to important internaz
1ional conferences.
Early this month, at the invitation
of President Harding, plenipotenti-
aries of Chile and Peru are to meet
in the Pan American building, on
18th street, in an effort to settle the
fcrty-year-old controversy over the
Tacna-Arica issue, SO outstanding in
South American politics that it has
come to. be known throughout the
length and breadth of the continent
as the problem, tf the Pacific" The
conference will center on Washing
ton the hopeful attention of all of
Latin America, and will bring here
some of the most distinguished OF
Latin American diplomats.
Territory on Coast.
A romantic historical background,
colored by international clashes of
opinion which several times have
brought Chile and Peru to the verge
of warfare. lies behind the Washing
ton negotiations. The territory whose
sovereignty is in question comprises
Pacific seaboard tract of 5000
square miles. formerly composed of
the departments of Tacna and AFRICA
and now administered by Chile as ner
northernmost province. under the
name Of the Province OF Tacna. In
ordinary parlancc it is called Tacna-
africa.
Originally a possession of Peru. the
province passed under the military
control of Chile in the war of the
Pacific, which was won by Chile in
1889 against the combined armies of
Peru and Bolivia. BY treaty rati-
fled March IS, 1884, ii was agreed that
ten years later a plebiScite was to de-
Iermine whether Tacna-Arica should
remain q part of Chile or return to
Peruvian sovereignty. The treaty did
not provide in detail the terms of the
Dlebscite, however, and when that
question was raised a disagreement
developed over who should vote and
what officials should supervise the
balloting. To this day there has been
no decision of these points. and conse-
quently no plebiscite.
Invited to Washington.
President Harding's proposal to
transfer the discussions to Washing
ton was forwarded last January,
after revival of the negotiations
over the plebiscite had again de-
veloped a critical situation in the re-
Jations of the two governments. The
invitation promptly was accepted. and
two delegates were named by each of
the parties to the dispute.
: The Chilean delegates. Carlos AL
dunate Solar, distinguished lawyer
and member of the council of state,
and Luis 1Zquierdo, Chilean ambaS
sador at Buenos Aires and former
Chilean minister of foreign affairs,
reached Washington early last week.
and are preparing to take up their
duties as soon as a definite date for
the conference has been fixed. One of
the Peruvian plenipotentiaries. Her
nan Nelarde. his country's minister to
Buenos Aires, is in New York. The
other. DR.. Melton F. Porras. a for
mer foreign minister, is on his way
here from Europe and is expected to
reach the capital in few days.
Solar Long in Senate.
Carlos Aldunate Solar was born in
Santiago in 1856, and began his
career as a lawyer. He studied at
the University of Chile, was admit
ted to the bar in 1873. and in 1886
was appointed professor OF civil law
In the University of Chile, having
previously served on the law faculty
of the Catholic University of Santa
go. He is legal adviser to the Mort
gage Bank of Chile and to various
local corporations. Later he entered
politics and was a member of the
senate for twelve years. In 1915 he
was chosen president of that body.
and served until last year, when his
term expired. He vas then elected
president of the conservative party.
Mr. Solar is a member of the Acad-
emy of Social and Political Sciences
Of Philadelphia.
Luis Izquierdo is at present minis