84 



BOLIVIA. 



of a secret treaty of alliance existing between 

 Peru and Bolivia, and the dismissal of the 

 Peruvian Envoy, Don Jose Antonio de Lavalle, 

 a prominent diplomatist, as set forth in the 

 following note to the latter : 



MINISTRY OP FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ) 

 SANTIAGO, April 2, 1879. f 



SIR : The reply given to the Chilian Envoy in Lima 

 a few days ago, by your Government, that it could not 

 observe neutrality in our present conflict with Bolivia, 

 because there existed a treaty of defensive alliance be- 

 tween them which is the same that you read to me 

 in the conference held on the 31st ult. has forced this 

 Government to the conclusion that it is impossible to 

 maintain friendly relations with Peru. 



Considering the assurance you gave me in the first 

 conference we held on the 17th ult., in reply to my in- 

 terrogation whether such treaty existed or not, that 

 you had no knowledge of it, that you believed it had 

 no existence, and that it could not nave been approved 

 by the Peruvian Congress of 1873 (when it was said 

 to have been approved), and much less in the succeed- 

 ing years, when you formed part of the diplomatic 

 commission considering this assurance, I repeat, my 

 Government sees that yours, as well as yourself, in 

 denying this treaty, have placed yourselves in an ex- 

 ceedingly irregular position. 



My Government is surprised to learn that that of 

 Peru projected and signed that treaty at the time that 

 it professed sentiments of cordial friendship toward 

 Chili. 



To this secret transaction, in which the strictest re- 

 serve was stipulated, the Government of Chili replies 

 with the fullest frankness, declaring that its relations 

 with that of Peru are broken, and that it considers it 

 belligerent, in virtue of the authority to that effect 

 received to-day from the high authorities of the state. 



In forwarding you your passports I have to assure 

 you that the proper orders nave been issued in order 

 that you and the personnel of the permanent Legation 

 of Peru may receive all due consideration and facility 

 in returning to your country. 



With sentiments of distinguished consideration, etc., 

 ALEJANDRO FIERRO. 



On April 6th Chili declared war against Peru. 



Owing to the occurrence of untoward events 

 in the course of the month of December, no 

 mention has hitherto been made of the Chief 

 Magistrate or of his Cabinet. Previous to the 

 commencement of hostilities, the President was 

 General Hilarion Daza (installed on May 4, 

 1876), and the Ministers were : Interior and 

 Foreign affairs, Sr. P. T. de Guerra ; "War and 

 Finance, Sr. E. D. Medina; Justice, Public Wor- 

 ship, and Public Instruction, Sr. J. Mendez. 

 After the enthusiasm with which the Bolivians 

 had hailed the alliance with Peru as the ear- 

 nest of prompt vindication of their rights, real 

 or imagined, and the repulse of the invader of 

 their soil, repeated reverses of the allied forces 

 brought a change in the popular sentiment. 

 Reflection and suspicion, according to report, 

 grew in time into the conviction that the peo- 

 ple's interests had been jeopardized by an ap- 

 peal to arms in the interest of a designing few ; 

 . and the general discontent was ultimately mani- 

 fested in a revolution. The President, still at 

 the theatre of war, was deposed, and found it 

 necessary to seek safety in flight from the coun- 

 try. General Daza, on setting out at the head 

 of his troops, had left the government in charge 

 of Senor Guerra, the Minister of Foreign Af- 

 fairs, etc. ; but on the death of Guerra, in Sep- 



tember, Don Serapio Reyes de Ortiz, secretary 

 to Daza, was sent to form a new Cabinet with 

 the aid of the new Minister of War, General 0. 

 D. Tof re". It was rumored, however, that Reyes 

 had placed himself at the head of the revolu- 

 tionary movement and seized the reins of gov- 

 ernment. 



A narration of the main features and events 

 of the war will be found in the article PERU. 

 "If," says the British writer before quoted, "we 

 accept, as we may at least provisionally, the 

 Chilian version of the events which led to the 

 war, it can hardly be disputed that Chili had a 

 legitimate casus belli against Bolivia, if not di- 

 rectly against Peru. But it is another ques- 

 tion how far it was wise of her to imperil her 

 merited reputation and her comparative pros- 

 perity for the chance of punishing the wrong- 

 doers." 



We give below translations of the more im- 

 portant stipulations of the Chilo-Bolivian boun- 

 dary treaties of 1866 and 1874: 



ARTICLE I. The boundary-line between Bolivia and 

 Chili, in the- desert of Atacama, shall be the parallel 

 of latitude 24 southj from the Pacific coast to the 

 eastern limits of Chili ; so that Chili on the south 

 and Bolivia on the north shall enjoy possession and 

 dominion of the territory extending to said parallel of 

 latitude 24 south } and may exercise over such terri- 

 tory all acts of jurisdiction and sovereignty belonging 

 properly to the " lord of the soil." The exact estab- 

 lishment of the boundary between the two countries 

 shall be made by a commission of competent judges, 

 half of whom shall be appointed by each of the high 

 contracting parties. After the boundary-line shall be 

 determined, it shall be indicated by visible and per- 

 manent signals, the expense of which shall be borne 

 pro rata by the Governments of Chili and Bolivia. 



ART. II. Notwithstanding the territorial division 

 stipulated in the previous article, the Republics of 

 Chili and Bolivia shall share in equal proportions the 

 products of the guano deposits discovered in Meji- 

 llones, and of those which may be discovered in the 

 territories included between the 23d and 25th paral- 

 lels of south latitude, as well as the export duties which 

 may be collected on the minerals extracted from the 

 territory just mentioned. 



ART. III. The Republic of Bolivia binds itself to 

 open the bay and port of Mejillones, establishing there 

 a custom-house, with the number of employees neces- 

 sary to the development of industry and commerce. 

 This custom-house shall be the only fiscal office which 

 shall have the right to receive the products of guano 

 deposits and export duties on metals mentioned m the 

 preceding article. The Government of Chili may ap- 

 point one or more fiscal employees, who, invested 

 with full powers of inspection, etc., may examine the 

 records or the receipts at the said custom-house of 

 Mejillones, and receive from the said custom-house 

 directly, and in quarterly installments, or in any oth- 

 er manner which may "be stipulated by both states, 

 the share of proceeds pertaining to Chili as expressed 

 in Art. II. The Government of Bolivia shall enjoy 

 the same rights should Chili establish a fiscal office on 

 the territory contained within the parallels of latitude 

 24 and 25,'" for the collection of duties, etc., as stipu- 

 lated hi the foregoing article. 



ART. IV. The products from the territory comprised 

 within the 24th and 25th parallels of south latitude, 

 and which may be exported through Mejillones, shall 

 be free of duty. The same exemption shall be ex- 

 tended to the natural products of Chili which may be 

 imported through the same port. 



ART. V. The system of working, or the sale of 

 guano, and the export duties on minerals, as indicated 

 in Art. II. of this compact, shall be determined con- 



