Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-09
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
Tacna-Arica

Just what is the Tacna and africa
Controversy" which is holding the
center of the diplomatic stage In
Washington while special ENJOYS
from Chile and Peru try to solve it?
The National Geographic Society,
from its headquarters here, nswer
this question in the following bull
letin:
The Tacna and africa question
can perhaps best be understood,
says the bulletin, IF it is taken as
a rough American equivalent of
Alsace-Lorraine, Italia Irredenta,
and the Danzig corridor, all jumbled
together. On the surface the Tacna-
africa matter may appear to be mere
! ly a question of whether a plebiscite
shall be held and how, but there is a
great deal more behind il. AS a
matter of fact IL is intimately con-
cerned with questions hat involve
Bolivia as well as Peru and Chile.
though the first named country has
no claim to the Tacna-Arica-area it,
self and is not represented at the
Washington meeting. Wars, trea-
I ties hat are o too clear, indem-
mites, tilibustering expeditions, val
liable mineral deposits. strong mill
itary positions, national sensibilities
and politics-these are some Of the
many cross-currents that affect both
the two-sided and threc-sided as
| poets of the problem.
Problem Born OF War
Phases of the question can be
traced back to the days when Peru
and Bolivia were connected under
the vice-royalty of Peru, but it be-
came a full-fiedged problem during
the last quarter of the past century.
Then Chile stopped more than 500
miles short of its present northern
boundary, Peru extended some 800
miles farther south, and Bolivia
now the land-locked Switzerland of
South Anrerica-had a coastline of
nearly 200 miles. This 500-mile
strip is largely a region of desert
plateaus and rocky mountains, and
90 years ago it was considered very
nearly worthless. Chile had not
even adequately explored her north
ern frontier provinces. and Bolivia
and Peru were far from being init
mately acquainted with their terri
tories. Then anne the discovery of
rich nitrate deposits in the Bolivian
coastal region. There was a rush of
miners and prospectors from va
rious countries, among them many
Chileans. When friction arose be-
tween the Bolivian government and
a Chilean mining company over the
payment of taxes, Chile sen soldiers
and later declared war against Bo-
livia, and from this three-cornered
war the Tacna-Arica question was
born.
sChf1a uoc nnnnnIatal,y x;ato~.-,,. |
and as the spoils Of war took the
entire Bolivian coastal region with
its nitrate beds. From Peru the VIC |
torious country took its southern
most province, Tarapaca, also rich
in nitrates. Next to Tarapaca on
the north lay the Peruvian province
of Tacna with the port of africa. |
This region Chile took for a ten year |
period after which there was to be
a plebiscite to determine to which
country-Peru or Chile-the area
should afterward belong. The de-
tails of the holding of this plebiscite
were not clearly set out and the two
countries have never been able to
agree as to the procedure.
Bolivia Would Buy Corridor
I'm III meantime, Bolivia which
had lost her road to the sea, contin-
ued to harbor the feeling hat she
had been misused and that some
sort of corridor should be provided
for her. For years Bolivia accepted
only a truce with Chile. unwilling |
to agree to the total loss of her sea
provinces. At one time Chile |
agreed to sell the land-locked coun-
try a port and a roadway through
the former Peruvian province of
Tarapaca, but Peru strenuously OBJ
jected and the deal fell through. |
Later Bolivia accepted a money in
demnity.
The treaty provision calling for a
plebiscite for Tacna also provides
that the country losing the land shall
receive five million dollars from the |
winner. One solution of the matter |
which has been suggested by Boil
via is that she, in dire need of an
outlet to a port, be coded the dis
puted region, and that she pay Ave
million dollars to each of the other
two countries"