New-York tribune., 1901-12-16
CHILL AND ARGENTINA.

The relations of Chilli and Argentina, which
have for some time been decidedly strained, are
now reported to be improving, and confidence is
EXPRESSED in both countries that an actual
rupture will be avoided Preparations for the
emergency of war continue but at the same
time overtures for an amicable adjustment OF
affairs are being hopefully made. There seems
to he no real cause for war. and 1t is certainly
not vet to be believed that so ineZcusable
course will be taken by the two most enl1ght-
ened nations of South America at the very time
when a great international congress is devlslng
means for assuring perpetual peace. The diner-
ences between them are such as might Well De
submitted to arbitration. Indeed. they have
been thus submitted, and 1t now remains only
for the two nations patiently to await and 10y
ally to accept the result.
When the two countries became independent
of Spafn it was understood that the boundary
line between them should be the same as the
old Spanish provincial line, following the ridge
of the Andes But that line was i'll defined. and
disputes arose over it. The first related to the
extension of the line through Patagonia. Chill
claimed the whole Of that country. but finally
agreed TO division Of it by an extension OF
the watershed boundary line down TO the fifty
second parallel. and thence arbitrarily to the
east and 10 the south. Next, and more serious
was the controversy as TO whether. ATgen
tina claimed the line should follow the noun
tain ridge of highest peaks, or, as Chill claimed,
should be drawn along the actual watershed be-
tween the sources of streams flowing eastward
and westward. Originally it was supposed that
such lines would be identical. Later surveys,
however. showed a great difference between
them, that drawn on the watershed giving 10
Chilli extensive tracts which the mountain peak
,+5r,o AT1Inh Of
puted strip. it may be added, has long been set
tied and occupied by Argentines.
Through the good offices of the United States
a treaty for the settlement of these disputes was
made in 1881 under which, by the way, the
Strait of Magellan was neutralzed. An attempt
was made to mark the line under that treaty,
but in vain. The radical difference between the
two. as to whether the line should follow the
highest peaks or the watershed of streams, re-
| mained unsettled, and in addition there arose
others as to the location of a landmark at San
Francisco and as to the ownership of the valu-
able plateau of Atcama, which Chill had seized
! in her war with Bolivia, but which Argentina
! claimed as her own. So in April 1896 another
! protocol was concluded. Under this the boun-
! dairy at Atcama was to be delimited with Bo-
/ livian aid the disputed San Francisco landmark
was to be ignored. and all other points IN con-
! supplementary agreement was made in 1896
/ and still another in September, 1898. Under
this last all disputes concerning the northern
part of the line to be referred to the United
States and all concerning the central and south
e1n portions to Great Britain, for arbitration
Five commissioners from each of the countries
were appointed. and the United States Minister
TO Argentina was authorized TO act as umpire
In this way the northern boundary was fixed
! about one-fourth of Atcama being given to Chill
] and the remainder TO Argentina Early in 1899
the British Government appointed three arbl-
! traitors 10 settle disputed points concerning the
rest of the line, and finally, at the end of 1900
protocol adopted binding both countries TO
! refrain from and TO prevent any act civil or
military, which might disturb the friendly status
quo pending the result of arbitration.
The present troubles have arisen over the con-
structon of so-calied strategic roads in the dis
puted zone, especially away down in Patagonia.
According to reports, neither party has dis
played a particularly eonciliatory spirit, though
news has been so meagre and so lacking in
explicitness that positive judgment is not to
be based upon it. Hitherto Chill has COM
planned Of Argentina's alleged unwillngness to