The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-23
Chile and Argentina Must
Settle Disputes.
HISTORY OF THEIR CONTROVERSY.
Likened Unto the Alaskan Bound
airy Matter - Efforts to Avert
Hostihties UnavaiIing Al
fairs as they Stand Today.


and is compelled to recognize that the
prevention of disaster involving four or
FIVE South American countries depends al
together upon the backdown Of one Of the
disputants Both of them are deferred
from compromising temporarily on what
is regarded as a comparatively unimDor
Jant feature Of the great questions which
have long been pending. and might have
long ago been settled but for the exasper-
atins diiatoriness OF the boundary arbi-
traitors appointed by Great Britain at the
request OF the Two extreme southern DC
cupants OF the continent
Territory the Casus BeIIi.
In a nutshell the cause Of the dispute
Is Chile's longing for additional territory,
which in her CONSTRUCTED condition she
thinks she can better utilize than her
ueighbors. But in the present grave
crisis she has proceeded with remarkable
diplomatic skill to shift the response
bility OF breach upon Argentina If there
Is resort TO force, and may be able 20
show the world that she has been com
PEELED to accept a war forced upon her
Tha last acute issue has arisen so sud
denly and is so involved in its relations
TO the complex boundary question at its
foundation that it is hardly understood
outside OF South America According to
The understanding at The State Depart
nent the following facts are accurate:
The Boundary Dispute.
The boundary dispute between the pow
ers d@tes properly from 1873 when Chile
took possession Of the Straits Of MageI-
Ian and adjacent territory and founded
the colonies of Bulnes and Port HambTe-
Against this admitted aggression the Ar
gentine Government formally protested,
but was took weak to enforce its claims
10 sovereignty. Between 1913 and 1881
the relations between the powers were
more or less strained on several coca
sions over boundary questions. and in all
these years there were long and ami
mated debates, the Argentine Government
reitarating its protests against Chilean
Cucrcachments. while the Chiieans claim
good titles to the territories. based upon
an exquisiteIy fine and complex inter
probation Of the ancient boundary lines
and the geography OF Spanish colonial
days
When War Became Imminent
In 1873 the situation arrived at d
stage OF the utmost gravity, and war be
came imminent. Chile az that time seized
vessels in Atlantic waters on the Pata-
gonian coast and Argentina established a
naval station near the scene of the cen
.ention. Both nations made ready for war.
three fleets we're hurried 10 the Santa
cruz River. and it vas only through the
confidential mediation Of General Osborn,
United States Minister at Buenos Ayres,
whose action was endorsed at Washing
ton. that hostiIities were prevented and
"a provisional agreement reached to make
say for the treaty of 1881 whereby an
amicahle settlement Of the boundary con
troversv was provided The treaty of 1881
laid down general rules for the demarc-
alton Of the whole frontier from north
10 south With the signing OF this con-
ven1fCu. at a time when Chile w1s occu-
uftd in ner war against Bolivia and Peru
the OLD controversy was apparently ended
Tor all time by assuring Chile of Argen-
;iua ; neutrality in the conflict on The Pa
cific and eusuring 20 argentina the peace
TuI possession Of the PaJagoniau territory
which chile had attempted to usurD
Time 10 settle Natter.
In 1888 the Argentine Government cen
sidered that the opportunity had arrived
for proceeding to carry out the actual de
narration. and to this end It directed its
rIenipotentiary at Santiago to press the
Chilean Government for carrying out the
contract The~e were delays until 1855.
when convention fixed the basis OF the
proceedings to be adopted for determining
he functions of the experts and the term
within which these should be appointed
Further delays by the Chilean Congress
led to much uneasiness in Argentina, but
finally in January, 1886, the agreement
was ratified and the work Of the surveying
experts began. Unfortunately, as usually
happens when territorial rights and ma
teTiaI interests are al stake. unforeseen
difficulties speedily arose in running the
line. which il time gave rise 10 passion
ale controversies among the politicians
and in the press Of both countries.
Peaceful Prospects Vanish.
The peaceful prospect which the conven-
ton of 1880 had made possible quickly
,anished, and once more a heated dis
euss5on between the two Governments en-
,langered the relations of the whole south
crn continent. Good counseIs prevailed
over the more bellicose suggestions. and
as it was apparent that Argentina dreaded
var and that Chile was not quite pre-
pared for II. the cloud again blew over.
and n 1898 a more conservative senti-
ment prevailed at Buenos Ayres and san
Jiago. which opened the way for better
understanding in the protocol of 1893
The contention between both countries
may be stated to be a difference of in
depreciation of the language Of the
treaties of 1881 and 1893 the ChiIeans
holding that the line Of demarcation i
10 be found in the continental divide and
the Argentinians that the boundary Is the
cOrdilIeTa Of the Andes the, dividing line
running through the highest crests
Like Alaskan boundary Dispute.
This confounding of the photographic
and geographic principles OF definite sion
which is in some respects similar to the
Aiaskan boundary dispute, was not IN
tangled by the 1893 protocol. which stfpu-
lated only that ali lands. lakes and rivers
east OF the highest crests Of the Andes
which divide the waters shall belong for
ever to Argentina. In this region low
elevations in the valleys form the water
parting oItener than the ridges of the
cordiilera, while the Andes themselves
consist Of dozen nearly parallel chains.
or course, disagreemeuts soon arose in
an attempt 10 carry out such a contra
TNDFE r..f-s.-..,or.,,-