Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
BY CASTOR NERVAL,

observe the hostile manifesto
tons displayed in the capital of
4 Peru at the time the President
of the United States. as arbiter
II tho Tacna- africa controversy. ordered
;hc carrying out of a plebiScite to de-
ciGf the final status of these two PROV
! inceE. or those who were in Santiago
Chile several months later. when Gen
Iassi;Pr declared the impracticability
Of the rlebiscite indeed would have
good reasons to marvel at the recent
steps taken to amicably settle the con-
f1ict
When the news OF the arbitral deci-
sion of March. 1925, ordering that the
fate of the provinces be submitted to
! the will Of their people, thereby COM
plying with the demands of the Chilean
! Republic, reached the capital OF Peru
the nation as whole lost no time In
, denouncing the decision of the Presi-
dent of the United States and in con-
demning the plebiscite as an unjust
move, for it ignored the demands of the
Peruvian government and denied It's
! right to claim the devolution of the ter
ritory under dispute. which was lost to
| Chile during the War of the Pacific.
| Soon after these demonstrations of
hostility and dissatisfaction were repro
duced on the streets of Santiago, when
Gen. LaSsiter. intrusted with the duty
Of carrying out the decision of Presi-
) dent Coolidge. declared that plebi-
settle under existing conditions was i'm
practicable" which action. in the iudg-
ment Of Peru. amounted to recogni-
ton of the truth of her accusations and
condemned the practices followed by
Chile in the plebiscite zone.
Vivid Proof of Ardor.
This is vivid proof of the passion
and ardor to which the old dispute has
been subjected by both parties. And
| 1t Is typical example of the rare
course. full Of unexpected changes and
surprises. that has been the main char
acteristic of this international contro-
versy. perhaps by far the most difficult
of solution in Latin America. Thus.
while in 1925 Chile was exalting the
| Justice OF the arbiter and boosted of
| having secured a decision favorable to
her demands. and Peru was lamenting
her misfortune. the following year.
when the plebiscite was found to be
!mpractlcable and so declared by the
arbitral representative, the condition of
| things was reversed
Peru then was highly elated over
what she considered to be a moral VIC
tory Tor her cause. while Chile vehe-
mently was protesting against the final
decision reached by the arbiter. for in
itself admitted the claims which for
nearly 80 years Peru had been asserting
concerning the improper and unjust
manner in which the Chilean authori-
Ties were endeavoring to nationalize
the provinces, by deporting the PERU
wan population and filling in with
! Chilean citizens, so that in case the
pieblscite was conducted the result
would be favorable to Chile.
U. S. Prestige at Stake.
Naturally. the prestige of the United
States was at stake, for while in 1925.
Peru was dissatisfied with th1 arbitral
decision. the following year Chile was
| volclng her regrets for having accepted
the mediation of the American Presi-
dent. This state of affairs. with the
unavoidable reactionary feeling which
swept the popular masses. in Peru as
well as in Chile. seemed to indicate thai
their relations were far from being
friendly. and that as result years
would transpire before a satisfactory
solution OF the problem could be
If to this should be added the recent
policy adopted by President Leguia OF
Peru and President Ibanez of Chile. to
make of the Tacna-Arica litigation one
involving national honor" which
reached its climax when the latter
threatened. not very long ago. with
definitely annexing the provinces with
out regard to future negotiations, the
reader will indeed be surprised to learn
that the late dispatches from Santiago
and Lima. have brought us the startling
news that the presidents OF both re-
publicS who until now have shown no
inclination in acceding to the demands
of the other. have reached a tentative
plan whereby the controversy may be
settled satisfactorily.
Division Seen as Formula.
1t now appears from all indications,
that they will soon come to an under
standing by adopting formula which
until recently was considered an i'm
possibility to both nations-the divi-
sion of the territory in dispute. Is one
to presume that the principle of pa
ciflsm no longer is mere theory in
America but reality; that diplomacy
at last definitely has replaced the sword
as the only means of solving interna-
tional conflicts on this side of the
world? Or Is it simply solution i'm
posed by the leaders of both republics.
|
flee to present necessities and interna-
tional conveniences patriotic senti-
ments and the will of the people o:
both nations?
Only time will tell.
In the meantime it must be borne in
mind that both Peru and Chile today
are ruled by an Iron hand"-that is to
say. by strong governments. and for
them it is very simple to dictate solu-
tons even though lacking the actual
support and acquiescence of their SUBJ
jectS.
The Tacna-Arica controversy arose
from the War of the Pacific, during the
latter part of the nineteenth century, in
which Chile, Peru and Bolivia were the
belligerents. Hostilities ceased In 1884.
after long and inceSsant warfare, for
the provocation OF which Chile was
| accused.
Treaty Covers Territory.
The Chilean and Peruvian govern
mentS signed treaty Of peace by vir-
tue of which the latter ceded to the
former. permanently and uncondition-
ally, the Province of Tarapaca. The
third paragraph of this agreement,
otherwise known as the treaty of Ancon.
stipulated in addition that the territory
comprised in the Provinces of Tacna
and africa. also occupied at the time by
the Chilean forces. would continue to
be Chilean possession and subject to
her laws during a period of ten years
beginning from the date of the signing
of the treaty. Upon the expiration Of
this term" the pact reads, "a plebiscite
will decide by means of popular vote
If the territory comprising the prov
I inces referred to is to remain under the
domain and sovereignty of Chile or
whether it shall continue to be a part
of the Peruvian territory. That country
annexing the provinces shall pay to the
other the sum of 10000 900 Chilean
pesos or 100000 Peruvian solos, as
| the case may be-"
Shortly before the termination of the
10-year period. in 1892. the necessary