Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-08-29
SOUTH AMERICA over
A POWDER MAGAZINE.

|pondent: South American Tepub-
lies are sitting over just such another
powder magazine as the one which
|eXploded two years ago in Europe
In many ways the situation recalls
the situation existing in Europe just
Ia few years before the outbreak OF
the present struggle. The recent
hint of war between Venezuela and
Peru and Columbia and Ecudor
brought South America to sharp at
tention. They might easily do
what the Balkin mixup did to Eu.
rope. There is the feeling that a
widespread clash cannot be prevent
ed, the same conflict of interests,
same warnings, same preparations,
same groaning under the weight OF
these preparations and the same un-
dercurrent of international ill-feeI-
ing. If and when war comes the
two principal belligerents probably
will be Argentina and Chile. Not a
country in South America lacks a
boundry dispute with some other
country. Each is a little Alsace-
Lorraine. Chile and Argentina had
a nasty dispute Of the kind in 1898.
1t reached the point of mutual mob
ilization. England interfered and
arbitrated Argentina got large
area of land in Southern Patagonia
which Chile claimed should have
gone to the latter. This has rankl-
ed ever since Chile is very poor.
If she could take by force Of arms,
that land, she might get another por-
ton as indemnity. 1t would give her
all Of South America. along her pres
ent Eastern boundry as far South as
the latitude of the Chubuk river,
which is about 1000 miles North Of
Cape Horn, and thence, to the south
ward, the whole continent, from the
Pacific to the Atlantic. This would
transform Chile into moderately
rich nation, for Southern Patagonia
is a fine cattle country and there
are stories of rich petroleum de-
posits there. This would mean war
with Argentina. Here is where Peru
would get into the situation. In
1879, as result of war, Chile an
neXed the two southern Peruvian
provinces. Peru has been longing
ever since for a chance to get them
back.
Bolovia is an inland country with
an ambition for a window" on the
Pacific.
The two provinces Chile took from
Peru are bounded on the west by the
Pacific and on the East by Bolivia
On their coasts are the ports of Tao
ma and africa. These would consti-
tute double window if Bolivia
could get them.
Chile probably would turn them
over to the Bolivans to defend from
Peru.
Peru would be too strong for Boil
ivia, but Ecuador and Columbia
would help give Peru a trouncing to
keep the latter from trying to en-
force claims on parts of the Putu-
mayo rubber country, concerning
which Sir Roger Easement made a
report few years ago.
Parenthetically, Columbia claims
certain territory in northern Peru
and surely would think the time ia
vorable for grabbing it.
This would be the cue for Peru s
friend, Venezuela, to invade Column
bia and secure slice of territory
she covets.
North OF Argentina is Paraguay
The Paraguayans have lost territory
to Argentina and are wild to recover
it. Many South Americans believe
Paraguay could count on military
support from Brazil.
There is no peculiar reason why
Uruguay should be dragged into such
a conflict except that, wedged be-
tween Brazil and Argentina, she
probably would be coerced into it to
the delimitation of the waters of the
Plate estuary
Bolivia yearns for a tract in north
ern Argentina, and undoubtedly
would try to get it if she considered
herself strong enough to fight on two
fronts simultaneously.
Such struggle would be bigger,
than the one in Europe
Experts figure that the South Ameri-
can republics could put the follow
ing forces in the field:
Argentina, Brazil and Chile, 1907
900 each 100000: Peru $4,000;
Columbia, Venezuela and Bolivia,
$4,000 each 10000: Ecuador 90
900; Paraguay and Uruguay, TO-
900 each 10000, total 100000.