Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-12-21
ABC CONFERENCE
PLAN A FAILURE:
COMMENTED ON
WAS TO HAVE MET IN RIO De JANE
70 ON NOVEMBER I5-BuT DELE
GATES DID NOT APPEAR
ONE PAPER DECLARES A GENERAL
SOUTH AMERICAN WAR IS AS
Inevitable AS EUROPEAN
(By Associated Press

SANTIAGO, Chile, Dee. 21.-The fail
ure of the proposed A B c conference,
which was to have met in Rio de Janeiro
on November 18th, has prompted editorial
comment throughout the entire continent
and the echo Is yet reverberating.
DIR. Lauro Muller, the Prime Minister of
the Brazilian cabinet, il said to have in
vited the Chilean and Argentine govern
ments to send delegates 10 conference
To be held at Rio de Janiero on November
15, the twenty anniversary of the
proclamation of the republic of Brazil.
The exact purpose of the gathering was
not made public but it is understood that
DR.. Muller desired the nations named to
enter into a peace pact binding each to
submit to arbitration any dispute and in
any event 10 await one year before re-
sorting to arms. The republic of Chile
accepted the invitation as did the Argentine
tentatively. A change of government in
the latter country came bofore the date of
the suggested meeting and the new foreign
minister strongly opposed the plan. As it
was necessary for the Argentine congress
to ratify the proposal, and as they failed
to do SO, Brazil was notified that her
neighbor would not participate. Chile
then withdrew her acceptance.
The most radical comment on the affair
was published few days ago in a Chill
can journal of socialistic tendencies. I'm
der the caption: Uruguay, the Serbia Of
South America the writer claimed that a
general South American war was as in
evitable as had been the great European
conflict for years before the flare of Au-
gust, 1914. Argentine will never agree
to a peace pact with her neighbors while
the matter of the La Plata boundary line
is in dispute said the author This line
runs in mid-channel where the river, be-
tween 40 and, at places, 60 miles wide,
separates Uruguayan from Argentinian
territory.
The Argentine government has spent i'm
mense sums in dredging the river from its
mouth off the port of Monte Nideo to n
point opposite Bucnos Aires, distance
Of nearly 200 miles, in order that large
ocean steamers might continue to dock in
the Aregentinian metropolis. A series Of
islands once claimed by Uruguay are now
held on the other side to be Aergentinian
because of the great expenditures in inn
proving the river channel. This, together
with boundary dispute between Brazil
and the Argentine has, according to the
Chilean author made the relations between
the three countries somewhat uncertain.
The writer maintains that it Il well
known in Chile that secret alliance of
both an offensive and defensive character
has for some time existed between Uru-
quay and Brazil. SWhat will Chile's atti-
tude be in event Of crisis he asks and
proceeds to answer by saying that un-
doubtedly his own country would join the
Brazilian Uruguay alliance. ''WhIlc We
have no boundary dispute with the Argen-
tine," he continues. Eve still have anun-
settled question with Peru. Thirty-six
years ago We won by conquest their rich
territories of Tacna and AFRICA. Today we
hold them still by force of arms. We have
not colonized them They are not yet
Chileanized. OF the $4,000 inhabitants Of
Tacna, 1.500 are Bolivian. $500 Peruvians
and 5000 Chileans, but Of these latter p
600 form the military garrison and the re-
naming 400 are civil employees or servants
of the military The people Of the districts
call for plebiscite to determine to which
government they belong and the Chilean
governmnt dare not accede to their re-
quest. Peru knows this and would vel
come a war which would help her regain
her lost provinces. So in the final lineup
We shall find Argentina and Peru pitted
against Brazil, Chile and Uruguay"
The views Of this writer are in no way