Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1262

 1140 PERU

between them was fixed from the mouth of the Heath to that of the Yaverija. Those with Colombia and Ecuador were referred to the King of Spain. The question at issue concerned the possession of over 100,000 square miles of land rich in rubber, timber, and probably gold lying about the head waters of the Amazon. The King, on the evident unwillingness of Ecuador to decide the dispute by arbitration, renounced his functions as arbitrator in November, 1910. The United States then intervened, and hostilities were for the moment averted by the agreement of the disputants to accept the mediation of the United States, Argentina, and Brazil. A definite arrangement has been made with Brazil as to boundary, favourable, on the whole, to Peru.

The region north of the Maranon, from the Pongo de Manseriche is claimed by Ecuador and Colombia and Peru. This region formed in the Spanish Colonial days the Comandancia de Maynas, and was allocated to the Virreynato of Santa Fe, then to the Audiencia of Quito, and for religious and ecclesiastical purposes subject to the Archbishop of Lima. It has been occupied by Peru since 1840.

Religion.

There is a Roman Catholic archbishopric (Lima, dating from 1545), 8 suftragan bishoprics and 3 Apostolic Prefectures. By the terms of the Constitution there exists absolute political, but not religious freedom, the charter prohibiting the public exercise of any other religion than the Roman Catholic, which is declared the religion of the State. But practically there is a certain amount of tolerance, there being Anglican churches and missionary schools in Callao, Lima, Arequipa, and Cuzco. The churches and convents are the property of the State. The State pays 16,000Z. annually for the purposes of public worship, including 300Z. for missions, (though this sura has not been paid since 1907). In 1897 an Act was passed enabling non-Catholics to contract civil marriages. In 1903 an Act was passed giving still greater facilities for the marriage of non-Catholics.

Instruction, Justice.

Elementary education is by law compulsory for both sexes, but the law is not enforced. It is free in the public schools that are maintained by the municipalities. In 1911, there were in Peru 2,152 primary schools with an attendance of 146,400 ; the number of children who ought to have attended was 407,987 There were 2,750 teachers. There were (1912) 27 colleges in the republic, with 4,674 pupils. For elementary education (1912) 245,810Z, were appropriated, and for secondary education 80,523/. High schools are maintained by the Government in the capitals of the departments, the pupils paying a moderate fee. There is in Lima a central university, called 'Universidad de San Marcos,' founded by Charles V. in 1551 ; it has faculties of jurisprudence, literature, medicine, political science, and theology. There are also universities at Arequipa, Cuzco, and Trujillo. Lima possesses a school of mines and civil engineering, created in 1874, with good collections and laboratories, a national agricultural school, and a school of arts and trades recently established. There are in the capital and in some of the principal towns private high schools under the direction of English, German, and Italian stall's. There is also a military and a naval school. Lima has also a public library, besides that of the university and school of mines.

Justice is administered in the Supreme Court at Lima composed of 11 judges and 2 fiscals, and in Superior and Minor Courts at Lima and 8 other judicial districts. The judges of the Supreme Court are chosen by Congress