Hoover Solution

Acclaimed last week was President Hoover's settlement of the Tacna-Arica boundary dispute--South America's 46-year-old sideache. Only the voice of Bolivia was raised in dissent, but nobody paid attention to Bolivia.

In 1883 the adjoining Pacific provinces of Tacna and Arica were captured from Peru and Bolivia by Chile. It was agreed that after ten years a plebiscite would be held wherein the two provinces could de cide to whom they wished to belong. The plebiscite never occurred.

Peru and Chile agreed in 1922 that President Harding should settle "officially and without appeal'' whether the plebiscite should be held. President Harding died.

President Coolidge had little success with the problem. Last week President Hoover announced his solution of the boundary dispute. It provided: 1) Chile to retain Arica and its nitrate fields, Peru to take Tacna with its vineyards; 2) Chile to pay Peru six million dollars; to deliver all government buildings in Tacna to Peru without cost; 3) both nations to erect jointly a monument on the morro of Arica to commemorate the peaceful settlement of the dispute.

Chile and Peru have both prospered in the past 40 years. Both nations hailed the Hoover solution joyously. Bolivia's sorrow was that she has been cut off from the sea for 46 years and now seems sure to remain so.