Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-17
CHILE CONDEMN NED

The decision to hold no plebiscite
to determine the control of the terri
tory of Tacna-Arica. in dispute be-
tween Chile and Peru. is sustained
by the experience of the plebiscitary
commission. General Pershing gave
up ostensibly on account of ILL
health, but obviously in disgust.
His successor arraigns the attitude
of Chile in unmistakable terms.
Some countries would be uncom-
Portable under the conviction of at
tempting to make of assumed arbl-
tration a cloak under which to fasten
her possession on a territory over
which she had insecure control
The day may come when Chile will
regret.
General Lassiter, who succeeded
Pershing as head of the commission,
now declares that fair and free
plebiscite has been made impossible
by the attitude of Chile. He does
this with such emphasis as this:
reference to the records of the
commission and of the American
delegation developed the fact, that,
without going further back than
January of the present year, there
are found in the files hundreds OF re-
ports and complaints of outrages
against Peruvians, open and varied
in character and widespread in point
of time and place. Evidence ad-
duced in cases that have been sub
iected to investigation, can leave no
doubt in the mind of any Impartial
examiner into the facts that there
existed and still exists in the plep-
iscitary territory conditions utterly
incompatible with the exercise by
PeruVians of the legitimate pleblscl-
tary activities essential to a free and
fair expression of the will or the
qualified electorate under the award.
1.-THE unacceptable conclusion must
be arrived at that the Peruvian
electorate has been physically re-
duced below its proper figure by such
measures as forcible deportations,
departures induced by violence of
threats, unexplained disappearances,
discriminatory military conscrlptlon
and even assassination; that Peru
VANS who have been driven or
frightened out Of plebiscite territory
have not been given by the Chllean
authorities due opportunity Of faclh-
ties to return and register to vote.
That the Peruvian official plebisci-
tary personnel has been impeded,
even subjected to assault, in an ef-
fort to discharge the necessary APP
propriate plebiscitary duties; that
there have been general deliberate
misrepresentation and suppression
of real facts by the local Chilean
press; that the conditions above out
lined have been brought about not
only with the knowledge of implied
approval of the Chilean authorities
but in many cases with their con-
nivance, evidenced by failure to re-
strain the criminal activities of GER
tain so-called patriotic and political
organizations, whose operations have
been accompanied by unmistakable
evidence of official support and APP
prevail.
such a failure in great under
taking cannot but be regarded with
sorrow by all who were engaged In
it, more especially when the end to
be accomplished was nothing less
than q Just settlement of a serious
long pending controversy between
two great nations for the preserVa-
ton of peace on this continent.
Moreover the great principle OF
arbitration is involved. The hopes
of mankind are fostered upon arbi-
tration as a means, perhaps the only
means now available, for settling
disputes between nations and pre-
venting the desolation of war. But
even these considerations could not
Justify me in closing my eyes to the
truth or in deliberately sanctioning g
proceeding which l. am convinced bH
force of indisputable evidence would
have been not only in conflict with
the award of the arbitrator, but con-
trary to the agreement for a
plebiscite not violative Of the rights
of one of the nations concerned
Arbitration was never intended as q
cloak for such q wrong"