Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-25
Chile Blamed for
Tacna-Arica Failure

the underlying conditions that led up
to 1t, and have some acquaintance
with the crafty methods of South
American politicians, they are not at
all surprised by the news from Santi-
ago, Chile, to the effect that Chile has
decided to dynamite the plan she was
supposed TO have favored and the
scheme she and Peru made TO submit
to arbitration that ageiong dispute
and asked the good Offices of Presi-
dent Coolidge as the arbitrator.
Those who have watched the diff
ferent phases of this question know
that Chile. when she entered into such
an agreement with President Coolidge
and our State Department., considered
that there was only one side to the
question, and that sne had everything
to gain and nothing to lose. TO her
1t was as III a game in which she
would be playing with her own dice
and which she had carefully loaded.
Now, at the real opening of the game
and when the arbitrator pushes Chile 8
loaded dice back to her and rolls out
upon the table dice that are fair and
honest. as we'll as square, Chile jumps
up. grabs her hat and says she will
not proceed with the game.
II can be assumed that President
Coolidge and our State Department
would not have even discussed the
Tacna africa trouble with the two dis
putants had they not believed and felt
sure that the proposed arbitration
would result in an early and long-ago
termination of il. There is reason TO
believe that when Chile and Peru first
proposed the arbitration plan to
Washington, they were not acting in
good faith, and that they had a secret
understanding that the question was
not to be arbitrated at all. but it was
intended, at certain stage of the
pretended arbitration. to hand to the
arbitrator a Cut-and-dried award
which was to give to Peru Tacna and
africa TO Chile, and to ask President
Coolidge to sign on the dotted line.
Exposure OF that scheme and mock
cry OF arbitration was made in Buenos
Aires very soon after those two Coun-
tries had submitted the dispute to
President Coolidge, and the exposure,
published in the newspa pers of both
Chile and Peru, caused an instan-
taneous uprising of the people in both
countries, and who made their protest
to their respective governments so
violent that the Presidents and cabi-
net members of both countries were
compelled, in order to save themselves
from personal violence. to declare,
and some OF them to swear, that there
was no truth in the alleged conspir-
acy TO settle that question in any such
way. The nationals of each country
demanded an assurance that their
governments. under no circumst stances,
would consent to a settlement of that
affair that would award any part Of
that territory To the other nation.
1t was then that the arbitrator took
up the question of the plebiscite,
which, at the beginning. was not con.
templated. Indeed, the scheme Of the
political leaders of those two countries
was 10 avoid holding the plebiscite
and 10 fasten the blame OF the said
award upon the President of the
United States. and that they. the very
ones asking for the arbitration, would
join the mob in their respective coun.
tries i'll it's howl Of protest and de-
nuHclation of the award when il
would be made.
This back ground is absolutely neces-
sary in order to have a clear under
standing Of the situation as IL has now
developed. 1t might be well for you
to also know that for 40 years or more
80 per cent of Chiles national income
has been derived from the nitrate beds
in the territory she wrongfully took
from Bolivia. The point of exhaustion
Of those golden beds is now in sight
and the thileans are at their wits end
to know to what resource She can turn
when that fateful point will lie
reached. She has nothing else that
would support such Il burden. For
the last several years she has had
her envious and rapacious eyes on the
rich and exhaustiess tin deposits Of
Bolivia the worlds future tin reserve,
which are in the southeastern part Of
Bolivia and adjacent To that part of
Bolivia which Chile forcefully took
from her 46 Years ago. Chile knows
the great national aspiration of Bo-
NVia il to get an outlet to the sea'--
a port on the Pacific-and she in
dulges the foolish hope that sooner or
later she may be able to starve Bo-
livia into trading a part of that valu-
able tin-bearing territory for TaCna
and africa which front on the Pacific.
and which has always been and will
continue to be only an expense and
trouble to her. Very properly. Chile
prefers to try To get some of Bolivia j
tin deposits In that way before under
taking to provoke her TO war and re-
pea ting the shameful operation of
1872
That is why Chile intends to hold
out against any arrangement whereby
Bolivia will be enabled to reach the
sea. II is a most discrrditable atti-
tude for her to take. and hope the
cleverness of our diplomacy and pub
lie opinion of our country will induce
or compel her 10 recede from it.
Ii appears that Peru. Influenced
largely by the expressed wishes of
Washington to bring about speedy
and lasting settlement of the Tacna-
africa affair, is disposed to recognize
the righteous claim of Bolivia to an
outlet to the sea" and is willing to
al adjustment or settlement of that
question on that basis. She has indi-
Gated that she would agree either to
giving Bolivia corridor to the sea
through those two provinces. and
which corridor would include the
present Arica-Ia Paz railroad. and
probably enough more of the Province
of Tacna to include the city of Tacna
provided. of course, that Chile would
be equally generous by giving to Bo-
livia as much of the Province of
africa, including the city and port of
africa. Peru deserves great com.
mendatiOn for taking this position and
eVidencing her disposition to cooper.
ate with our Government III effecting
such q settlement.
1t is to be regretted that Chile
thinking she occupies an advantageous
position. now seeks to not only hold
up the only settlement of that dispute
that seems possible but to greatly
embarrass Washington and to cause
our State Department and President
Coolidge to regret that they permit
ted themselves to be drawn into this
unfortunate and disagreeable affair,
The present attitude of Chile will GER
tainly serve her no good purpose and
will not soon be forgotten by those
who have been both striving and hop
ing for a righteous and lasting settle