File No. 723.2515/282.
The American Minister to Chile to the Secretary of State.
Santiago, November 18, 1912.
Sir: I have the honor to confirm my telegrams on the subject of Tacna and Arica. * * *
I called at the Foreign Office on the 15th upon other business, and at the close of my conversation with Mr. Huneeus informed him of the communication made to the Department by Mr. Suárez Mujica and of Mr. Knox’s reply as learned from the Department’s telegram of November 12, and congratulated him upon his achievement. He expressed his appreciation and said that any points which seemed unsatisfactory could and would be settled in the negotiations which would follow immediately upon the resumption of diplomatic relations.
He very frankly communicated to me the bases of settlement, though he stated that they were confidential for the present. They are substantially as stated in my telegram of November 10, but for the Department’s convenience I recapitulate them here, as follows:
- 1.
- Diplomatic relations to be reestablished at once.
- 2.
- A commercial treaty of reciprocity to be negotiated immediately.
- 3.
- Chile to pay Peru 500,000 pounds on the signature of the treaty. (It is understood that Peru will devote this sum exclusively to economic, i. e. non-military, purposes.)
- 4.
- Definitive status of Tacna and Arica provinces is to be decided by a plebiscite to be held 21 years after signature of new treaty or protocol which will stipulate that the right to vote on the question will be limited to Peruvians and Chileans, able to read and write, who shall have resided in the province three years before the plebiscite. (This will exclude Indians and foreigners.)
The Election Board will be composed of five persons: the Peruvian Government will nominate two of its nationals as members and the Chilean Government likewise will nominate two Chileans; to these will be added the President of the Supreme Court of Chile, at the time being, who will be President of the Tribunal; and in case of disagreement the majority of the Tribunal shall decide and their [Page 1228] acts will be binding on the whole Board. (This will enable Chile alone to hold the plebiscite in case Peru should withdraw for any reason.)
The losing nation is to pay the full amount of the indemnity stipulated in the Treaty of Ancon. (The 500,000 pounds bonus to be paid by Chile to Peru on the conclusion of the commercial treaty is entirely independent of any indemnity connected with the; plebiscite.)
I have [etc.]