Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-24
Example of Good Sense.

a point in which war that might have
involved all the neighboring republics
seemed inevitable-when the armies and
fleets of Chile and Argentine only waited
the signal to begin the combat-both coun-
tries gave to the world a great example of
good sense in submitting the long ard vio-
lent dispute over their boundariels TO the
arbitration of the King of England. The
decision has been accepted and carried out,
ana there, on one of the highest accessible
peaks of the Cordilleras dividing the two
nations, the noble impulses animating them
have caused TO be raised one of the most
beautiful monuments ever erected This
monument is the emblem of peace abiding
within the souls of the sons of the Amer
lean republic, who have lifted up the image
OF Christ, the Redeemer, as mark of
tribute to His doctrines. The inscription
on the pedestal reads:
Sooner shall the mountains crumble to
dust than Argentines and Chileans break
the peace which at the feet Of Christ, the
Redeemer, they have sworn to maintain"
Bolivia, my country, has submitted to
arbitration important boundary questions
with Peru, Paraguay and Brazil. Peru also
has arbitration agreements with Bolivia
Brazil, Ecuador and Italy.
The Boundary Disputes.
The boundary disputes have been the
main cause of the disagreements among
the Latin American republics. Such is at
present the popular sentiment in favor of
arbitration that all of those questions have
been submitted to that honorable way of
settlement.
And this is the work of countries COM
monty considered as always playing at revo-
lutionS and. without the least idea Of order
or justice.
The principal efforts to popularIze the
adoption of arbitration must be directed
toward educating public opinion, and in
substituting the sentiments of justice for
the false pride of brute force. We must
teach the masses to respect the rights of
for .yrtn tper
our own.
Question of Disarmament.
1t is useless to speak of disarmament
when first of all the rival nations have
more confidence in their fighting strength
than in the justice of their cause or the
love of peace of their neighbors.
When the Venezuelan ports were bonn
barded by the combined fleets of some of
the great powers of Europe, the Argentine
Republic, through her minister of foreign
affairs, called attention to the great inJus-
tice and the menace to the sovereignty OF
the victim republic that such action i'm
piled.
When it is known that in most cases the
claims against some of the republics are
either shamefully exaggerated or are clear
ly unjust. the practice of putting a ma
tion's strength and resources behind them :,
must be condemned. - --.s.r. !
Very often the claims originate with men
who, knowing beforehand the state of in
security that exists in some of the repub-
lies go to them deliberately with the object
of taking advantage of the political unrest
and become the promoters of revolutions
and obtain unlawful concessions.
Will Be Submitted.
We need not forget either that there are
nations in Europe that have failed to pay
their debts, but no one ever thought of
pointing the cannons mouth toward them
to collect the deferred obligations.
Thanks to the efforts of the Hon. Secretary
or State, Mr.. Root, the Drago doctrine will
be submitted to The Hague conference, and
it Is to be hoped that the great powers,
guided by more reasonable ideas, will agree
to end one of the most disgraceful prac-
tees and establish rules that will afford
justice to all. Providence has destined the
whole of America to be the home Of free
dom.
Let US hope that, guided by the true prin-
ciples of democracy, and following the
natural development of their intercourse in
no distant epoch, the South American re
publics confederated into few powerful
nations, will be the home of hundreds OF
millions of free men, working peacefully
for their own welfare, conquering and dom
mating Natures munificent gifts. free from
military thralldom and in the full posses |
sion of the rights with which God has en-
dowed our immortal souls.
Francis B. Loomis, former assistant sec |
rotary of state, delivered an address in |
advocacy of the pan-American railroad to |
connect New York and Buenos Ayres
, A Great Project.
Mr.. Loomis said:
II am going to invite you to consider for |
q moment one of the greatest projects of
modern times, and one which will inevitably |
make for peace, good feeling, better ac- |
quaintance and clearer understanding |
among all peoples of the new world.
81 refer to the pan-American. or inter- |
continental railway. which. briefly, Is a
project to connect New York city and |
Buenos Ayres by continuous line of rail- |
way operated under a single management. |
That the project Is feasible, practical |
as well as an important one. we have
the abundant testimony Of such men as |
A. J. Cassatt, Andrew Carnegie, r. c.
Kearns, II. G. Davis and the farsighted |
statesmen such as Mr.. Root, who has given |
the project his heartiest approval.
1T is not the question of ultimate profit |
which enlists the hearty sympathy and |
earnest efforts of men like Mr.. Carnegie |
and Mr.. Davis and Mr.; Root in an enter |
Infinitely more serious more interesting |
and more important than the mere fact Of |
railway building on a large scale and the |
earning Of dividends They know that
and the frequent use of such means of in |
tercouyse tend to draw peoples and nations |
together. The essence of all that Is wor- |
thy and good and noble in our civilization |
would be carried southwark. The too fire. |
quent disorders in some of the smaller re- |
pubiics would cease, because these COM
munities would be brought into quick and
close communication with the outer world |
They would be in touch with better and
more stable conditions. The government
IN those unrestful countries would be able
to transport troops quickly from one part
of the national domain to another, and up
risings would be swiftly suppressed.
Peace and Good Order Assisted.
Maintenance Of peace and good order in
Mexico was enormously assisted by the
building of railways. In our own country
civilization followed the rails across the
plains over the western mountain ranges
to the Pacific ocean.
These humanizing and cvilizing influ-
ences that inevitably follow the pioneer
railway cannot be resisted. This means
that this great road through the heart of
Central and South America would be the
most prodgious agent for progress the
world has ever known. All that our CONT
mental railways have done for this country
we may confidently expect the interconti-
mental railway to do for the three Amer
icas / ask you to view this project in its
broad humanitarian aspect, and to give 1t
your careful consideration and cordial sup
port, because II Is something substantial,