Evening star., 1927-08-14

informed quarters, in response
to any polite inquiries regarding the
status of A problem which a year age
was reputed to be caromng down tc
destruction. and two years aso was
about to burst into war and ruin the
reputation OF Uncle Sam in South
America beyond all repair,
What that word quiet with refer
ence TO the great question Of Chile
and Peru. really signifies is that moth
ing is happening on the surface, and
the things that are going on under
the surface are too complicated for
casual conversation. And vet the sit
uation is still pregnant. and an under
standing OF its status is important 10
the student and also TO the dweller in
WASHINGTON who seeks to keep some
where near the running OF world
affairs.
AS the Tacna- africa situation always
has had, its manifestations today have
two phaseS--the geographical and the
political. The geographical comprises
most OF the visible facts. Chile. it
will he remembered. captured all The
Peruvian coast as far north as Lima
and a little beyond in the War of the
Pacific. which broke out in 1879. BY
the treaty of Ancon tsigned in a
suburb of Lima. the Peruvian capital,
in 1889, Peru ceded to Chile the south
erly province of Tarapaca, and Chile
occupied the province of Tacna-Arica.
lying north of Tarapaca and south OF
Peru. for strategic reasons, because
this territory offered a. rallying ground
for Peru and Bolivia, who had been
Peru's ally in the War of the PACING
and who had also lost a rich province
Atacama, together with its only port,
~ f1f. Sra aEtG - InhRr
treaty Of Ancon, a plebiscite was to
he held after 10 years-that is, 1888
10 allow the inhabitants of Tacna'
africa to vote whether they should be-
long to Peru or Chile.
PIebiscite Never Held.
The plebiscite has never been held.
Peru first wanted it held and then did
not want it held. on the ground at the
end that Chile held control and would
not allow a plebiscite to be fairly car
ried out. In the end Chile wanted to
hold the plebiscite, contending that the
treaty of Ancon read that this vote
should be held after the expiration
of 10 wears" or at any time after
1893. while Peru held the terms read
sat- the expiration of the 10 years. or
in 1893. Wars and rumors OF wars
over this question have torn the West
Coast of South America for 40 years.
and finally in 1922 the whole question.
incIuding the boundaries of the terri
tory. was submitted to the President
of the United States.
On March 1. 1925. his decision was
handed down. He held for Peru's con-
tention as to the boundary of the prov
inces under dispute "a question OF
grave Importance, and agreed with
Chiles contention that the pleoisclte
should be held.
Gen. John J. Pershing was appoint
ed president OF the plebiscitary COM
mission and J. ]. Morrow of the bound
arv commission. Gen. Pershing went
TO africa in August of 1925. and Tor
many months struggled against a SIT
nation which developed at every turn
and which he in the end reported TO
the President made the plebiscite I'M
possiole. His health required his re-
turn to the United States before tne
final breakup came, and Gen. VII
liam I,assiter was sent down in his
place in January. 1926. Five months
later Gen. Lassiter threw up ms
hands. introduced a resolution wnlcn
was passed by the plebiscitary com
mission by his vote and that OF the
Peruvian member declaring that Chile
that through Chiie's fault alone 1t has
failed. This resolution. together with
the proceedings of the pleblscltarE
commission. were certified to President
Coolidge. who has never yet acted
upon them
Commission Continues Work.
Meanwhile. however. the boundary
commission has heen continuing It's
work. It ran into difficulties before
Cen Pershing left africa, through the
killing of some Chilean rural suaros
nv Peruvian villagers in the disputed
zone. This was followed by the with
dravsl of the Chilean member or the
boundary commission from the meet
jngs thereof. owing to the fact that
resolution Of censure OF the Chilean
comma nder had been made the hrst
business of anv formal meeting. a sub
iact upon which the Chilean member
declined to allow discussion. Finally
however. the three delegates were
brought together here in Washington
and for. several months past efforts
have been made to settle the bouhdafN
nrestion. The vote of censure or the
Chilean police which blocked the work
in the first place has been put aside.
The boundary questions now under
discussion are confined 70 the northern
boundary Of the territory-that is, be-
tween Peru and Tacna-Arica. as now
held by Chile. Under the award oil
President Coolidge the Peruvian con
tention as to the line was approved
,nd the duty OF the boundary com
mission was to locate it by determin
ing the course OF the River Sama
which the arbitrator set as the bound
arv. But the River Sama has two
hra inches in its upper reaches, ana
Peru claims that the true River Sama
"a that farthest extended into the ter
rjtorv of Tacna africa. and Chile that
the true River Sama is that which lies
farther north, in the territory claimed
bv Peru. Al this moment the bound
arv commission is locked on this mat
Ter. and also by one Of the provisions
~ the method ot procedure of its de
Ifherations which was put in TO guar
aotee satisfaction TO all parties. but
snnsrentlv without fun appreciation
cf the possibilities OF deadlock.
This provision Ia that decisions oi
ths commission must be una nimous
Inst now the boundary commission is
irving 10 revise it's procedure by Vot
ing that a ma ioritY rule will decide, 2
nIsn which Chile, suspecting Gen
Morrow agrees with the PeruVians OF
tho boundary question. refuses to ac
rept. The situation as to geography
End all things tangible in the Tacna
africa situation rest just there. The
issue is not unlike the schoolboy prob
lem as to whether the Mississippi j:
the river that bears that name, or If i
is the present Mississippi as far nortf
as st. Louis and thence takes in tht
Missouri. You will remember that you
as patriotic American aged IL
wears. believed firmly in the Missouri
theory, for the plain and simple rea
son that this would give the Unltet
states the longest river in the world
we all have our prejudices and pa
trIotisms, not all OF them logical.
Political Phases Subtle.
The political phases of the Tacna