The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-03-10
PLEBESCITE
AGREED UPON
IN DISPUTE
Sovereignty Of Tacna-Arica
Is Ordered in Award
BY Coolidge
WHAT is INVOLVED
WHAT is INVOLVED

Washington, March l0.-A plebis-
cite to determine the question of So
vereignity of Tacna-Arica was order
Cd in an award handed down by Pre-
sident Coolidge in the controversy
over the territories between Chile
and Peru.
Disputes as to the possession of
the provinces Of Tacna and africa
have gone on between Chile and
Peru since 1894, straining interna-
tional relations not only between the
two countries Immediately concerned,
but also between neighboring states
which, more or less openly and con-
Sci0usly, were led to take sides in
the quarrel. With the passing Of the
years national feeling concerning the
matter grew more and more heated
until its solution was considered inn
perative for the peace of South
America.
The United States was selected in
ficulty, both sides agreeing to accept
the American decision as final. II
has been generally understood that
the finding would be announced in
Washington previous to the inaugur-
alton of President Coolidge.
The quarrel arose out of certain
unfulfilled stipulatiOns of the treaty
of peace, known as the treaty of An
con, concluded in 1883 at the end OF
the. war between Chile on one side
and Peru and Bolivia on the other
War was declared by Chile in 1879
and in struggle entirely victorious
for the aggressive forces, Chile was
after four years of hostilities, il
possession of Lima, the southern
provinces of Peru, including Tacna
and africa, and about 100 miles OF
Pacific littoral formerly belonging
TO Bolivia.
Regions Occupied
The regions occupied, especially
the province Of Antofagasta, in the
old Bolivian territory, and Tarapaca
formerly of Chile, were among the
richest Of the country in nitrates
and guano.
American efforts at mediation be-
gan early in the war and were kept
up practically uninterruptedly, under
the direction of two secretaries OF
state, Blaine and Frelnghuysen, I'M
til 1888. Unfortunately these efforts
were barren OF results in spite of the
fact that both secretaries sent spe.
cial missions to the scene of war tC
try and arrange an agreement be
tween the belligerents.
In 1883 plenipotentiarie of the
two warning countries met at Ancor
and, after ten months of negotiations
concluded treaty of peace. tn,
main provisions were that PERI
should cede Internationally to Chill,
the province Of Tarapaca and tha
the provinces of Tacna and Aric;
should continue in the possession o.
Chile, subject to Chilean Legislation
and authority for period of ter
years from the date of the ratifica
ton OF the treaty Of peace" At thu
expiration of that term, the treaty
further specified, "a plebiscite will
decide by popular vote whether the
territories of the above mentioned
provinces will remain definitely un
der the dominion and sovereignty
Of Chile or continue to form par
Of Peru" This treaty was ratified
in 1884.
Negotiations were started in 1885,
between the two governments tC
reach some agreement as to the con.
ditions under which the plebscits
should be held. These continued fol-
70 years without any settlement oil
the question. The disputed terri
tory, in the meanwhile, continued ir
the possession of Chile.
Blame for the continued failure OF
the negotiations was placed by each
litigant upon the other, Peru claim.
ing in addition that Chile was carry.
ing out a campaign of COLONIZATION
in Tacna and africa.
In January 1922, seeing that the
question was assuming dangerous as.
poets, the United States invited both
Chile and Peru to send representa-.
tives to Washington for a confer
ence in final attempt to reach a
settlement of the dispute by arbitra.
ton.
Invitation Accepted
The invitation was accepted and
on July 20, after two months dis
cusslon, the plenipotentiaries signed
a protocol in which they agreed that
the difficulties arising out of the un-
fulfilled conditions of the treaty of
Ancon were to be submitted to the
arbitration Of the President of the
United States of America" who
would decide them without appeal
after. hearing the parties and taking
into consideration the arguments and
evidence which they may present"
A subsidiary agreement also was
drawn up which set forth more de-
finitely the questions to be decided
by the president. This stated that
''there shall be submitted to arbi.
tration the question whether, in the
present circumstances, the plebiscite
shall or shall not be held" It went
on to say that the arbitrator, were
he to decide in favor of plebiscite,
would also have the power to settle
the conditions under which it would
be held. Should the arbitrator, how
ever, rule against plebiscite, then
the two parties interested would eds
cuss the situation created by this de-
cision," invoking the "good Offices
Of the government Of the United
States" should they again fail to
reach IAN agreement.
\ Both Chile and Peru, subsequent
tD the exchange of ratification Of
these two documents, filed their