Evening star., 1925-03-11
The Tacna-Arica Award.

On october 20, 1888, was iald the
foundation of what has since become
known as the question OF the
Pacific" involving upward of Al
years OF controversy between Peru
and Chile as TO the ownership Of the
little provinces of Tacna and africa.
On Monday President Coolidge handed
down his award in the case, under
arbitration proceedings originally un-
dertaken by President Harding in 1922
at the request of the nations involved
To understand the Importance Of
this decision in dispute which, with
waxing. and waning bitterness, has
threatened the peaceful relations of at
least two South American countries
for more than four decades, it is es-
sential to understand the geography
of the territory in question and the
chronology of certain events preced.
ing and subsequent to the brief strug
gle between Chile. on the one hand
and Peru and Bolivia, on the. other
which, occurring in 1S79-1SSo. has
since become known as 1.-The War. of
the Pacific"
Chile Is long, narrow country ly-
ing on the southwestern littoral of
South America-in length about 2,900
miles, it would cover approximately
a coastal strip from Maine to North
Carolina: in width it extends from 100
to 200 miles only, hack to the Cordil-
leras of the Andes Mountains. Across
these to the east lies Argentina.
Prior to 1866 the desert Of Atacama,
part of Bolivia, formed Chile's
northern boundary. North again Of
the then Bolivian seacoast lay Peru.
About 1912 Chilean encroachment
on Bolivian territory to the north be-
gan, and by 1874 "a degrees south
latitude was fixed as the boundary
under a treaty which, covering GER
tain export duties on minerals, ulti-
mately gave rise to the dispute which
led to the war of 1879.
In 1873 Peru and Bolivia contracted
a secret defensive alliance, generally
attributed to mutual anxieties incl
dent to ChiIe's aggressive policy in
pushing northward along the coast.
In 1878 came the dispute between
Chile and Bolivia over certain taxes
imposed by Bolivia, which We're held
by Chile to violate the aforementioned
treaty of 1874. In 1879 the occupation
of the Bolivian littoral was accom-
plished by Chile without declaration
of war. Peru, seeking to compose the
differences between the two countries,
was dragged into the dispute, and the
WAR Of the Pacific which was
terminated by the severe defeat of
the Peruvian and Bolivian armies at
the battle of Tacna in 1880, resulted
1t was the treaty Of peace between
Chile and Peru, concluding these hos
problem. Under that document Chile,
while obtaining possession Of the
whole Bolivian littoral and the south
ernmost Peruvian province of Tara
paca, was given the right to continue
in possession" of the provinces of
Tacna and africa, still further to the
north, for period of 10 years. After
the conclusion of that period, it was
stipulated, a plebiscite should de-
termine to whom the provinces should
thenceforth belong.
That plebiscite was not held, and
for more than 40 years Chile has exer-
cised control over the territories. Re-
peated efforts have been made to
reach an agreement as to the basis
for the stipulated plebiscite and the
auspices under which it should be
held, but each has hitherto met with
failure. And it was not until July Of
1922 that the governments of Chile
and Peru submitted their differences
to the arbitration of the President of
the United States, in the discharge of
which obligation President Coolidge
day before yesterday made public his
opinion and award.
The Presidents opinion holds that
he as arbitrator was in no wise con-
cerned with the merits or denerits of
either Chile or Peru in the War of the
Pacific, or upon the justice or injus-
tice of the terms OF the treaty of
peace which concluded that brief
struggle, or upon equities OF ineauities