New-York tribune., 1901-12-23
PRICE THREE CENTS.
CHILL AND ARGENTINA. s,
HISTORY OF THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE
WHICH MAY LEAD TO wAR-FUTILE
EFFORTS AT ARBITRATION.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rr1ErxE.I


lean countries depends altogether upon the
backdown of one of the dfsputants Both OF
them deferred from compromising tempo
rarily on what is regarded as a comparatively
unmportant' feature Of the great questions
which have long been pending and might have
| long ago been settled but for the exasperating
| dilatoriness of the boundary arbftrators ap-
pointed by Great Britain by the request OF the
two extreme southern occupants Of the con-
| tinent
| In a nutshell the cause Of the dispute Is
Cbifs longing for additional territory. which in
her constructed condition she thinks she
better utilize than her nefghbors- But in the
present grave crisis she has proceeded with
markabIe diplomatic skill to shift the RESPONSE
| bility Of breach upon Argentina il there Is a
resort to force, and may be able to show the
| world that she has been compelled 10 accept a
| war forced upon her. The last acute issue has
| arisen suddenly and is involved in it's
| lations to the complex boundary question at its
| foundation that it is hardly understood outside
OF South America. According to the under
| standing at the State Department the following
! facts accurate:
The boundary dispute between the powers
/ dates properly from 1S43. when Chilli took pos
/ session of the Straits of Magellan and adjacent
! territory and founded the colonies of Bulnes and
Port Hambre- Against this admitted aggression
| the Argentine Government formally protested,
| but Yves too weak to enforce it's claims to
| sovereignty. Between 1913 and 1881 the reIa-
! tions between the powers were more or less
| strained several occasions over boundary
questions. and in all these years there were long
and animated debates. the Argentine Govern
| ment reiterating it's protests against ChiIIan
| encroachments. while the Chiiians claim good
titles to the territories. based upon an exquis-
| iteIy fine and complex Interpretation of the
| ancient boundary lines and the geography of
| Spanish colonial days.
WHEN WAR BECAME IMMINENT
In 1878 the situation arrived az a stsge Of the
utmost gravity. and became imminent.
Chill at that time seized vessels in Atlantic
waters the PatagOnian coast and Argentina
established naval station near the scene Of the
| contention. Both nations made ready for war.
three fleets were hurried TO the Santa Cruz
River. and it only through the confidential
mediation Of General Osborn. United States
Minister at Buenos Ayres. whose action was in
dorsed at Washington. that hostilities were pre-
vented and provisional agreement reached TO
make way for the treaty of 1881. whereby an
aInica BILE settlement of the boundary contro-
versy was provided. The treaty of 1881 laid
down general rules for the demarcaJion of the
whole frontier from north to south. With the
signing IF this convention. at time when Chilli
was occupied in her against Bolivia and
Peru. the old controversy was apparently ended
for all time by assuring Chill OF Argentfna's
neutrality In the conflict the Pacific and in
surfing TO Argentina the peaceful possession Of
the Patag gonfan territory which Chilli had at
tempted usurp.
In 1883 the Argentine Government considered
that the opportunity had arrived for proceeding
TO carry out the actual demarcation. and TO this
end it directed its plenipotentiary at Santiago
to press the Chfan Government for carrying
out the contract There were delays until 1883.
when a convention fixed the basis of the pro-
ceedings to be adopted for determining the fune-
tions of the experts and the term within which
these should be appointed Further delays BY
the Chilian Congress led to much uneasiness in
Argentina but finally in January. 1890. the
agreement was ratified and the work OF the
veying experts began Unfortunately. usually
happens when territorial rights and material in
terests stake. unforeseen difficulties
speedily arose in running the line. which in time
gave rise to passionate controversies among the
politicians and in the press of both countries.
The peaceful prospect which the convention
of 1890 had made possible quickly vanished. and
once more heated discussion between the two
governments endangered the relations Of the
whole southern continent. Good eounseIs pre-
vailed over the more bellicose suggestions. and.
as 1t was apparent that Argentina dreaded war
and that Chilli was not quite prepared for It,
the cloud again blew over and in 1898 more
conservative sentiment pTeNdled at EouSHOS
Ayres and Santiago. which opened the way for q
better understanding in the protocol OF 1875
The contention between both countries may be
stated to be difference of Interpretation Of the
language of the treaties of 1881 and 1893, the
Chilians holding that the line of demarcation Is
to be found in the continental divide and the
Argentinians that the boundary is the Cordiilera
of the Andes the dividing line running through
the highest crests.
LIKE ALASKAN BOUNDARY DISPUTE.
This confOunding of the photographic and
geographic principles of delimitation. which is
In some respects similar TO the Alaskan bound
ary dispute. was not untangled by the 1898 pro-
tocol which stipulated only that all 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 eieva-
tions in the valleys form the water parting
oftener than the ridges of the cordnlera. while
the Andes themselves consist of dozen nearly
parallel chains OF course. disagreements soon
arose in an attempt TO carry out such a contra
dictory arrangement. and Chilfs proposed arbf-
tration OF the entire boundary matter met
by the Argentine offer TO limit the arbitration TO
the Interpretation Of the protocol
In 1896 this question was at last referred to
her Britannia majesty's government which ap-
pointed arbitrators. who have never reported.
In 1899 of the most pressing phases of the
dispute relating to a single province was re-
'erred by the two countries to the United States
Minister at Buenos Ayres. Mr.. Buchanan. who
gave Chill one-fourth of the territory and Ar
zentina three-fourths. in this instance the d.
vide and the highest peaks very nearly cOincid-
ng The situation to-day may best be appre-
,iated by the statement that in all the con-
roversy Chilli has nothing to lose and every