Evening star., 1922-06-11

Of the delegates themselves to dis
| cuss their progress, and the care ex-
might give rise to conjecture. have
| led to the inevitable conclusion that
| nothing has been or can be accomp-
lished by the delegates themselves.
| Differs From Arms Conference.
Yet there is a vast difference be-
| tween tho limitation OF armament
| conference and that between Chile
and Peru. And the main difference
lies in the nature Of the force which
| controls the actions of the delegates
| public opinion. When the confer
ees met here to discuss the limita-
| ton of armament. they were aware
Of the strong sentiment among tne
people who sent them In favor or &C
complishing what they set out to 90.
1t was common to hear an observer
remark, "They are afraid to go PACK
home and tell the people they weren
able to accomplish anything. Puo
| lie sentiment demanded q result anu
1t was given.
That is the difference in this case
Public sentiment in Chile favors
settlement of the Tacna-Arica cues
| tion-if it Is favorable to Chile. PUP
tlement of the Tacna-Arica quesstti16a cues ion
If 1t ms favorable to Peru; ana Lne
delegates dare not sacrifice them
selves to the danger Of running %
against that sentiment BY the very very
forced to go slowly. very slowly;
studying as they go the treno oi
opinion among their countrymen, en-
deavorng to appease q popuiar os
mand at home lest fire. which Is
smoldering, burst into flame anu oFn's
| their efforts to naught.
Are Hopeful Signs.
The delegates are aware they may
go home and say: I'VE tried, but the
! opposition demanded what we can
! not, as patriots, give" And puohc
| sentiment would approve their ac-
ton. But they have chosen the hard
! er course. They have run the CANT
! let of public opinion at home SO 1ar
withour changing a sentiment which
| does exist In both countries Where
| they are seemingly deadlocked. out
they have reached 1t in the same
spirit Of friendly endeavor which
prompted them to come 10 "asn'"e
| ton. And that is hopeful.
| II is said on good authority that the
delegates from Peru and Chile came
| TO Washington unlnstructeo.
we're not given authority TO uePai.
from the stand. which mas kep. inh, .n
!
Years. Each delegation stood firmly
/; on the principles. which have come TO
| be accepted doctrines in their couh.
triea since 1854. They were sent
ostenstbly to settle the 'Tacna-Arica"
question. or, to be more exact. the
| "unfulilled provisions OF the AhcoIi
treaty" But the trouble has lain IN
the fact that Peru and Chile ran 70
Interpret the "unfulflled provisions
~ the Ancon treaty" in the same
| light. And that is the interesting
thing about mediation-what 1s the
question to be mediated:
What Is to Be Mediateds
For Chile. the question resolves IT.
self into the holding Of a plebisc,te TO
determine the nationality OF the
provinces of Tacna and africa.
/ For Peru, 1t is the settlement by
some other method than plebiscite
the nationality of Tacna-Arica. claim
ing that Chile has been in possession
Of the provinces so long that plebi-
scite would be an altogether one
sided affair.
For Chile. the question would be
confined merely to that of the plebi-
scite.
For Peru. it would be enlarged to
embrace the ownership OF the prov
ince of Taraca. lying Immediately
north of Tacna and africa. which Peru
claims Chile seized without warrant.
When the time finally arrives for
arbitration. the difficulty will not lie
so much in settling any one question.
The trouble will be in getting some
thing in definite shape to settle.