File No. 21891/21 F. The Secretary of State to Mr. Henry White, special delegate to the centenary celebration at Santiago.1 DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 28, 1910. SIR: I inclose the President's appointment designating you as special delegate of the United States of America, with the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, on special mission, to represent this Government at the ceremonies which are to take place at Santiago, Chile, in September next, incident to the centenary celebration of Chile. Referring to the personal instructions given you at this department before you left for Buenos Aires, the department only desires to add that it has been informed by the Government of Chile that the latter will be happy to receive you and your colleagues at Santiago on September 12 next. I am, etc., File No. 825.415 A /44 A. For Mr. Knox: HUNTINGTON WILSON. President Taft to the Acting President of Chile. [Telegram.] THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, September 18, 1910. Upon this, the centenary of your excellency's great country, I desire to express directly to your excellency my sincerest and most cordial felicitations, adding them to the messages which have already been delivered by the special ambassador and delegates of the United States. The Government and people of the United States, reviewing the splendid progress achieved by your excellency's country, rejoice with Chile on this memorable day. I also desire to offer your excellency personally the assurances of my high regard and consideration. File No. 825.415 A/46. WILLIAM H. TAFT. The Acting President of Chile to President Taft. [Telegram-Translation.] SANTIAGO, September 20, 1910. Particularly gratifying to the people of Chile are the sincere and cordial felicitations which your excellency in the name of the Government and people of the United States was pleased to send us on the occasion of the centennial of our independence in which the great Republic of the north cooperated by its example, which showed us what liberty was and the benefits it poured over the nations. May your excellency be pleased personally to accept the assurances of my most distinguished consideration. FIGUEROA. 1 Mutatis mutandis to Mr. Bernard Moses; Mr. Lamar Charles Quintero; Mr. John Bassett Moore; Col. Enoch H. Crowder, United States Army; Mr. Lewis Nixon; Mr. Paul Samuel Reinsch; Mr. David Kinley. File Nc. 825.415 A/57. The special delegates of the United States to the centenary celebration at Santiago to the Secretary of State. WASHINGTON, October 4, 1910. SIR: After the close of the Fourth International Conference of American States, at Buenos Aires, the undersigned, who had composed the delegation of the United States in that assembly, proceeded, in accordance with your instructions, tc Santiago, Chile, for the purpose of representing our Government, under the new and special appointments with which we were provided (investing the chairman of the delegation with the rank of ambassador and the rest of the delegation with that of ministers plenipotentiary) at the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of Chilean independence. It gives us pleasure to report that we were received by the Government of Chile with the utmost cordiality. A large house, completely furnished and with a staff of attendants, was placed at our disposal, and from first to last we were cared for, as were the special representatives of other Governments at the centenary, as the guests of the Chilean Nation. The ambassador of the United States was presented to the Chief Magistrate of Chile on the 10th of September. We inclcse herewith the speeches made on that occasion. (Exhibits 1 and 2.)1 The special ministers plenipotentiary of all the powers were presented together on the 12th of September. No speeches were made at their presentation. We beg leave to state, for your information, that only Italy, the United States, Germany, Japan, Spain, Brazil, and France were represented by ambassadors. We give the ceremonial order in which their ambassadors ranked, as determined by the date of their arrival in Santiago. It is understood that Great Britain was prevented from sending such a representative because of the continuance of the term of mourning for the late King, Bolivia was represented by her Vice President in an ambassadorial capacity. We inclose herewith an English translation of the program of the centenary. (Exhibit 3.) The official exercises were opened on the 12th of September and closed on the 22d.. The item on the 30th of the month was not included in the list of events at which the presence of the foreign representatives was officially requested. The program, as it stands, is a notable one, but it represents an abbreviation of that which was originally formulated. The change was due to the death of President Montt on the eve of the centenary, a melancholy event, which was soon followed by the demise of Vice President Fernandez Albano, who had succeeded him in the exercise of the functions of Chief Magistrate. In this contingency the functions of the Vice President devolved upon the ranking member of the cabinet, Señor Figueroa, who performed the duties of Chief Executive during the celebration of the centenary, and who will continue to perform them till the inauguration of the new President, Señor Barros Luco, who was nominated, without opposition, during our sojourn in Santiago, and whose election has thus become a formality. It is beyond the purpose of this report to describe in detail the numerous celebrations on the program of the centenary. The principal day was the 18th of September, which is considered the natal day of Chilean independence. The participation in the exercises of that day of children from the public schools, bearing in their procession Chilean and American flags, was a gratifying feature of the occasion. We deem it proper to mention the fine appearance made by our squadron, under Admiral Harber, at the naval review at Valparaiso. We left Santiago on the 22d of September. Our farewell took the form of a banquet, which we tendered to Vice President Figueroa, and which he accepted, for the evening of the 21st. This banquet, which his excellency graced with his presence, was given at the Santiago Club, and was attended by the principal functionaries of the Government, by the special and resident diplomatic representatives, and by numerous and distinguished private citizens. Two speeches were made one by the American ambassador and the other in the nature of a reply, on behalf of the Vice President, by Señor Izquierdo, minister of foreign relations. Copies of these speeches are hereto annexed. (Exhibits 4 and 5.) We also inclose copies of letters which, on leaving Santiago, we addressed to Señor Izquierdo, to the minister of war and marine, to Señor Sanfuentes, president of the committee on the centenary, and to Señor Jorge Asta-Buruaga. (Exhibits 6, 7, 8, and 9.) We have, etc., HENRY WHITE. PROTECTION OF CHILDREN BORN IN CHILE OF CHINESE PARENTS. File No. 15077/85. No. 311.] Minister Hicks to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Santiago, February 22, 1909. SIR: Referring to department's 1262 and No. 140,' dated August 22, 1908, and December 3, 1908, in regard to representation of the Chinese in Chile, I have to report that the necessary instructions were sent at once to the consuls at Valparaiso, Iquique, and Punta Arenas. The consul at Iquique, Mr. Rea Hanna, in acknowledging receipt of the instructions, asks if the children born in Chile of Chinese parents are to be considered as Chinese subjects and given certificates. As under the Chilean law all persons born in Chile are considered Chilean citizens, his inquiry is natural. I have advised him that, in the absence of specific instructions on this point, I would express the opinion that children born in the country of foreign parentage could not be deprived of their citizen hip without the assent of the Government to which the parents owed allegiance and that until I could obtain exact instructions on this point he could act accordingly. However, I notified him that I would lay the matter before the department for a ruling, as I can find nothing in my instructions which covers the point. I shall be glad, therefore, if department will give me a decision in the case, and I shall at once communicate it to all the consuls. I am, etc., No. 15077/85. No. 150.] JOHN HICKS. The Acting Secretary of State to Chargé Pierrepont. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 3, 1910. SIR: Referring to previous correspondence, the department acknowledges the receipt of Mr. Hicks's dispatch No. 311, of February 22, 1909, in regard to the protection of Chinese in Chile. Mr. Hicks referred to an inquiry made of him by the consul at Iquique as to whether children born in Chile of Chinese parents are to be considered Chinese subjects and furnished with the usual certificates of protection. In reply I have to state that, as the persons mentioned by the consul at Iquique are, by Chilean law, citizens of Chile, it would not be proper for our representatives in that country to assert their Chinese citizenship and extend protection to them in that capacity, against the contention of the Chilean Government that they are its citizens. I am, etc., HUNTINGTON WILSON. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF CHILE TO THE CHILEAN File No. 180/41. No. 91.] CONGRESS. Chargé Pierrepont to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Santiago, June 7, 1910. SIR: I have the honor to report that the President of Chile opened the ordinary session of the National Congress on June 1 with all the customary solemnity, the ceremony being followed by a military review. Inclosed herewith are two copies of the annual message which the President himself read to Congress, together with translations of the extracts relating to the United States, the relations with Peru, the situation between Peru and Ecuador, and the legation in Japan. I have, etc., SETH L. PIERREPONT. [Inclosure-Translation.] Opening of the National Congress-Joint session of the two Houses, June 1, 1910-Presidency of Luis Antonio Vergara. The lack of precision in the boundaries of the old Spanish colonies of America has unfortunately given rise to other controversies of the same kind, and among them the dispute affecting Peru and Ecuador is especially sensitive. Not only the old and strong chains of friendship that bind us to Ecuador, but also our interest in preserving the continental peace, have induced us to multiply our efforts in order to obtain a friendly solution of the difficulty. Being inspired by this high motive and within the sphere of action corresponding to us, under the circumstances, we insinuated at an opportune moment the idea of a mediation. We hope to see the good offices that three friendly powers have offered crowned by an agreement equitable and satisfactory to the aspirations and harmony of the interests of Ecuador and Peru. The traditional cordiality of our relations with Brazil have remained unchanged, and it gives me pleasure to testify to the fact that the intervention of her Government brought about the agreement which we reached with the United States of America to submit an ancient diplomatic claim to arbitration. Our diplomatic relations with Peru have been interrupted once more. In the course of the negotiations that took place in order to establish the basis of the plebiscite that should determine the nationality of the Provinces of Tacna and Arica, Peru saw fit to withdraw the legation she had accredited in Santiago. I deplore that this resolution will postpone the opportunity for both countries to come to a definite agreement on this important question, a solution of which would be beneficial for both; and we can not understand the reasons of that Government for not considering our propositions, which are inspired by conciliatory and equitable sentiments, and unite with the desire that animates us to carry out the clauses of the treaty of Ancon referring to Tacna and Arica. Various measures destined to augment the agricultural and industrial development of Tacna and Arica have drawn from the Government of Peru some observations which we have not esteemed proper, because those measures constituted acts of internal administration, executed in the exercise of the sovereignty which the treaty of Ancon conferred on Chile, and in fulfillment of the duties which that sovereignty places upon us respecting the advancement and progress of the people submitted to the laws of the country. The diversity of origin ard tendencies between the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of Tacna and Arica has brought about difficulties. For that reason, and from the fact that no priest, Chilean or foreigner, has obtained the necessary authority to exercise his ministry, the Province of Tacna has been deprived of all religious services. In order to remedy the inconveniences of the situation I applied to the Holy See, and His Holiness has seen fit to create a general military vicary, that shall attend to the religious services of that Province after a fashion. The protocol celebrated with the United States of America to submit the Alsop claim to arbitration has been approved by the Government of that country and also by ours. The contracting parties shall defend their respective rights before the court of arbitration in the manner and as amply as they shall consider convenient. The minister of Chile to Japan is already at his post, a mission that has the double purpose of strengthening our friendly relations with that Empire and to correspond to the permanent legation established by that country in Chile. The foreign commerce of the Republic, the importation as well as the exportation, reached in 1909 the figure of $568,512,672 of 18d. The exportation decreased from $319,149,072 in 1908 to $306,429,909 in 1909. The decrease is due exclusively to the fall in the price of saltpeter. In spite of the fact that the quantity of saltpeter exported increased by 750,895 metrical quintals, the value of the exportation diminished by $22,995,000. On the other hand, there was an increase in the exportation of animal and vegetable products, especially of barley and wheat. The customs receipts reached the sum total of $113,143,084 of 18d, a sum superior to that received in 1908 by $3,242,728. The import duties, which reached the sum of $40,390,108, increased by $736,385, and the export duties, which produced $71,876,356, increased by $2,721,084. |