Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-06-06
PROJECT THAT is SURE OF REAL.
IZATION ULTIMATELY.
PROMOTES TRANQUILITY
Every Dollar Expended for Railway
Construction in Latin-American
Counties Makes for Peace and Ar
bitration-So Declares an Official
Who is Working on the Enterprise.

MOhonk, n Y, June Before the
Lake Mohonk arbitration conference
last evening Charles NJ. Pepper spoke
on the influence of the Pan-American
Railway Project on Arbitration. Mr..
Pepper who, as special pan-American
railway commissioner appointed by
this government, has spent two years
in an exhaustive personal investiga-
/ ton in South America, reviewed the
gradual development Of the pan-Ameri-
can railway idea AID its approach 10
practical basis. The chief aim, he
stated, was to secure uniformity of
policy among the dozen or more coun-
tries interested SO that gradually the
north and south would be linked to-
gether by the prOlongation of existing
railway lines and the cOnsummatiOn of
new enterprises. Mr. Pepper said, in
part: The permanent pan-American
railway committee, which was Great,
7 by the Mexican conference, derives
marked benefit from the membership
CT practical men such as ex-senator H.
I G.. Davis of West Virginia and Andrew
I Carnegie. This committee keeps in
correspondence with the different re-
publics and aims to give general pub
licity TO what they are doing and to the
( opportunities they offer for the in
" stment of foreign capital. It's
plans are purely practical. but their
fruitiCn will have a sentimental value
both for arbitration and for the in
crease of mutual knowledge on the
part of the various countries.
while the idea strongly appeals TO
the imagination, the chief value of its
exploitation is en- the utilitarian side
since the increase of commerce and the
development of internal resources are
the best means of convincing all ma
tons of the advantages of settling
their difficulties by peaceful methods
Instances are numerous where rail-
roads projected fer strategic purposes
have proved the most effective
agencies for avoiding war.
In the Latin-American countries
experience has shown that domestic
tranquility is the surest way of lessen
ing friction with neighori1g republics.
Mexico and the Argentine Republic are
conspicuous examples. Both main
tain a policy of railroad construction,
and in both the national unity is very
marked while there has grown up a
decided tendency TO settle their con-
troversies with other countries by ar
bitraticn. The internal tranquility
which follows railway building has
proven a broad foundation for com
pacts of international peace
Every dollar expended for railway
construction in Latin-American coun-
tries makes for peace and arbitration.
The European capital in the Argen-
tine Republic and Chile has kept those
republics from going to war and Sc
cured the final arbitration of their dis
puted limits. This arbitration has
given distinct impulse to railway en-
terprises in both countries. The in
fiuence of capital either invested or
promising investment is further shown
in the recent agreement between
Brazil and Bolivia under which the
Acre dispute was settled on a basis Of
indemnity and a policy of railway con-
struction in the Amazon region by
beth nations. while it was provided
that in future questions growing out Of
this treaty were to be settled by ar
bitratiOn. Still another illustration
is the agreement between Ecuador and
Peru &c submit their boundary dispute
To arbitration. Prospective railway
building in the disputed region was one
of the arguments in securing that
agreement. The enterprise now under
way and the projects of the various
governments are not only furnishing
precedents for arbitration agreements
but they are convincing both the gov
erning powers and the people that the .
material interests involved are too
great to justify arbitrating their dis .
putes by the sword when the more .
peaceful methods are open and practic- .
able
Being asked what section OF five hun
dred miles in the Intercontinental .
route was most feasible and likely to .
best advance international arbitration,
Mr.. Pepper replied: THAT question
better be divided. In South America the .
link which would close the gap in
southern Peru and join it to Bolivia,
probably would have the greatest .
value. On this side of the isthmus,
the 500 miles in Central America would .
De of very great advantage to those
republics both in developing the senti-
ment OF unity and insuring the develop
meat Of their material resources. !
thiak such a railway connection would .
absolutely assure that any cOntro-
versies which might arise among them
in future would be settled peacefully"