Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-07
BY CASTOR NERVAL.

lea have been settled in the
last fortnight. One in the
north and the other In the south. both
had been disturbing elements in the
Americas: one the result Of an inter-
national war never entirely settled, and
the other the origin Of civil war which
was exhausting one OF the richest ma
tons of Latin America. In the solu-
ton of both, the United States has
taken part.
Almost at the same time when, in the
south, announcement was made Of the
final settlement of the Tacna-Arica
question which had kept Chile and Peru
at swords points for so many years, in
formal efforts were begun to put an
end to the controversy between the
church and State In Mexico where for
some time this religious question had
sown anarchy and disturbance. And
now, after but a few days, while In
Santiago and in Lima the congresses
Of Chile and Peru are on the point of
ratifying the agreement which ends the
Tacna-Arica question, of1cial announce
ment Is made In Mexico Of the recon-
Citation between the government and
the Catholic element, which means the
end of the civil war in that republic.
Inspired by New Spirit.
This rare coincidence is clear proof
Of the new spirit inspiring the peoples
Of our hemisphere. There exists in
them a high aspiration for peace at
home and abroad. Each Is seeking
peaceful solutions for existing problems,
and for removing every possible cause
for future disputes. The principles of
peace have ceased to be mere theories
of idealistic professors, and have come
to be detectives of governments and
aspirations Of whole peoples, who have
tired Of living in an atmosphere OF per-
ennial agitation and diSquiet. Peace
abroad and stability at home are now
the ideals sought by the Latin Ameri-
can nations following the example of
this country, which has built its great
ness upon these two solid pedeStals.
Only this overwhelming desire for
peace and harmony, noted today
! throughout Latin America in perhaps
greater intensity than in any other
| region, can explain how 1t has been
possible to reach amicable settlements
of two Of the most complicated prob
lens Of the present day. None believed,
really. that within a period of one
| month there could disappear from
the Latin American horizon those two
| great clouds-Tacna-Arica and the
Mexican religious question. Tacna-
africa was the bitter residue Of war
in which three nations had shed their
blood, and which, although fought so
many years ago, had left deep scars
of diScord and unsettled territorial
! questions. During nearly so years Peru
and Chile had tried to settle the prob
| lem which made impossible friendly
| relations between them. Final agree
ment seemed always further away. In
fact, In trying to reach such an agree
ment. both countries more than once
found themselves on the verge of hos
tilities. The question involved not only
material factors, but also those of senti-
ment-much more seriouS-and matters
Of national pride, which made it seem
| impossible Of solution. AS to the re-
ligious conflict in Mexico, that also
involved factors Of gravest importance;
nothing less than sectarial passion,
| faith and religion. which have been
throughout history the sources Of the
most serious crises.
Triumph for Reason.
However, above all sentimental con-
| siderations, above the passions of the
moment, this time there have triumph
| ed that good sense and spirit of peace
which day by day is making itself felt
over the whose surface of our planet
Now that Chile and Peru are reconciled.
and the religious conflict ended in
1 Mexico, there have disappeared two
L
affected the political tranquility of the
Americas. There remain others, it
must be confessed, which will require
settlement whenever time and the force
Of circumstances demand 1t, but mean
while we may celebrate joyouSly the
happy ending of those two, the COM
plexities of which have held so long
the attention Of the whole world.
The territorial question as to Tacna
and africa originated in the war Of the
Pacific, fought in 1879 by Chile on one
side and Peru and Bolivia on the other,
brought about by the flrst-named ma
ton, which at that time played the part
in South America that Prussia did in
Europe. AS the result of this war, in
which, as was to be expected, Chile won
by superiority in men and war mate
rial, Bolivia lost her entire sea coast,
Of which Chile had taken possession
even before the declaration of war, and
Peru lost her province of Tarapaca.
In the treaty which ended hostilitieS
it was also stipulated that the Peru
/ Wan provinces Of Tacna and AFRICA oc-
cupied by Chilean forces, should re-
main under Chilean control for two
years, at the end of which period a
plebiScite should decide whether they
should continue to be held by Chile or
be returned to the sovereignty of Peru
Failed to Reach Agreement.
Il At the end of the stipulated period
the Chilean and Peruvian representa-
tives failed to come to an agreement as
to the conditions under which the