The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-25
Preparations They Are Making, and
Something Concerning the Causes
of the Impending Conflict.
WHAT Each COUNTRY CLAIMS
REASONS WHY CHILE MUST FIGHT
IMMEDIATELY OR NOT AT ALL.
Probable Attitude of Other South
American Governments-The strug-
gle Likely to BE a Bloody One.

Copyright. 1898. by Frank G.. carpenter)
SANTIAGO, Chile. Sept. 4-There Is
great danger of a war breaking out be-
tween tho Argentine Republic and Chile
within the next three months The masses
or the Chileans want it, and popular meet
ings are held all over the country demand
Ing It. Not long ago the secretary of war
resigned from the Cabinet, telling the Pres
ident that he accepted the place because he
supposed that Chile was going to fight the
Argentine and that if there was to be no
war he preferred to resign. The President
and his administration would like to avoid
conflict If possible, but the feeling of the
people is such that the least overt act on
the part OF the Argentines would infiame
them beyond control The government ap-
preeiates this, and it has for months been
making military and naval preparations
The National Guard has been called out.
and at this writing thirty thousand men
are under arms and soldiers are being rig
idly drilled in every part of Chile. 1 saw
them first in the northern provinces. At
Valparaiso I found the Alameda filed with
young men going through the military evo-
lutions Of the German army many hours a
day. and the drills of the artillery, cavalry
and infantry are TO be seen daily in the
parks of Santiago. In the meantime every
one Is talking war. You hear it in the clubs
and on the streets Congress sits in secret
sessions on the subject, and at a conven-
ton held few weeks ago resolutions ask
ing the administration to declare war were
adopted and sent to the President At the
same time the people of the Argentine are
also much excited over the situation and
the newspapers of both countries are filed
with war editorials
NATIONAL BOUNDARY LINE.
The trouble between the two countries is
rs to just where the boundary between
Chile and the Argentine Republic lies This
has been the subject of diplomatic discus
sion for years, and it has again and again
threatened to cause war. In 1876 the rea-
tons of the two countries were so strained
over this matter that an armed conflict
seemed imminent. and it was only avoided
by the governments negotiating for a joint
commission Of experts to mark out the
boundary line. The present excitement is
the result of the conflicting interpretations
of the treaties which were made through
these negotiations. The first attempt to set
tie the matter failed. Another trial was
made in 1878. but it was not until 1881 that
a treaty was entered into, and this was
largely the result of the friendly Offices of
Thomas o Osborn, then our minister to
Argentine, and his cousin, Thomas A. Os-
born, who was then United States minister
TO Chile. This treaty stated that the
boundary from Peru as far south as the
ffty-second degree of latitude, which is
about the eastern entrance to the Strait of
Magellan, should be the cordillera of the
Andes. The treaty stated that the frontier
line should run along the highest submits
of the mountains that divide the waters
and should pass between the sources of the
streams which lie on one side or the other,
the Argentine getting all on the side of
those flowing into the Atlantic and Chile
taking all on the Pacific SIDE In cases
where the boundary lire was not clear it
was TO be settled by two experts, one chosen
by each country. and if they were not able
to come to decision third agent chosen
by both governments was to decide the mat
ter. 1t was also provided that Chile should
have no port on the Atlantic and the Argen-
tine none on the Pacific. The line so fixed
was to remain for all time, and if other mat
tiers of dispute arose they were to be sub
mitted by the two governments to some
friendly power for arbitration.
This was a beautiful treaty. full of COM
mon sense and brotherly love, but when
the experts began to work on the bound
airy the temper of the people changed and
ali sorts of disputes arose. In 1895, in adj
vance of his report to the government, the
Chilean expert published his statement of
the situation.
This was attacked at once by the Argen-
tine press and the relations of the two
countries again became strained. Then a
little later inc
into print in book on the subject, which
was bitterly attacked by the Chilean press
and which is the cause of the war talk of
to-day According to this book the Chilean
line in the south is close to the Pacific,
while the people here believe it should be
far inside of Patagonia. The land in ques-
ton is, ] am told not worth the price of
the powder that would be burned in the
impending conflict; and. in fact, the real
cause or the ill-feelng dates considerably
further back. BY this treaty the Strait of
Magellan and the greater part OF TERRA del
F'uego are given to Chile. The Argentines
think they should have large part of them
and that the Chileans have really no right
TO anything east of the Andes. although
they have agreed to the contrary They
think Chile is scheming to grab a great
part of their territory. as she did the rich
nitrate nelds or Peru, and feel that she is
after war of conquest. Chile feels that
the Argentine took a large part OF Pata-
gonia from her. and knows that a port on
the Pacific would be of great advantage to
her neighbor. She knows the Argentine is
growing and wants a war now before the
Argentine gets so rich and powerful that
she cannot hope TO conquer her.
WHY CHILE MUST FIGHT NOW.
1t is hardly probable that these troubles
can ever be finally settled without a war.
Both countries realize this. and the Argen-
tines know that their best policy is TO put
the conflict of as long as possible The
Chileans much fight soon. If at all. They
cannot stand the expenses of their present
war establishment. am told that the army
and navy are now costing about 1000 gold.
q day. Enormous sums have been spent for
arms and ammunition, and during a visit
which made this week to the various mill
tary establishments here 1 found that the
guns and equipment are of the finest and
the most recent makes. The soldiers are
armed with Mauser rifles. In the artillery
barracks was shown mountain guns which
were made at the Krupp works in 1896. and
other arms OF the same date. The soldiers