Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-12-21
FAILURE Of A. B. {.
CONFERENCE NOW
TALK OF PAPERS

SANTIAGO, Chile. Dec. 21.-The
failure of the proposed A. B. c. con-
ference, which was to have met in
Rio de Janeiro on November 18th,
has promoted editorial comment
throughout the entire continent and
the echo is yet reyerberating.
DR.. Lauro Muller, the Prime Min
lister of the Brazilian cabinet, is said
to have invited the Chilean and Arg
entine governments to send delegates
to conference to be held at Rio de
Janero on November Is, the twenty
seventh anniversary of the proelama-
ton of the republic of Brazil.
The exact purpose Of the gathering
was not made public, but it was un-
derstood that DR.. Muller desired the
nations named to enter into peace
pact binding each to submit to arbi-
tration any dispute and in any event
to wait one year before resorting to
arms. The republic OF Chile accepted
invitation as did the Argentine tenta-
lively. A change of government in
the latter country came before 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 pro-
posal, 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
III Chilean journal of socialistic ten
denotes. Under the caption: Uruguay,
the Serbia of South America" the
writer claimed that a general South
American war was as inevitable as
had been the great European conflict
for years before the flare of August,
1914. Argentine will never agree to
a peace pact with neighbors while the
matter of the La Platte boundary line
is in dispute" said the author. This
line runs In mid-channel where the
river, between 40 and. at places, so
miles wide, separates Uruguayan from
Argentinian territory.
The Argentine government has
spent immense sums in dredging the
river from its mouth off the port of
Monte Video to point opposite Blu
enos Aires, distance Of nearly 200
miles, in order that large ocean steam
ers might continue to dock In the
AIeentinian metropolis. A series or
islands once claimed by Uruguay are
now held on the other side to be Arg
entian because of the great expendi-
lures in improving the river channel.
This. together with boundary dis
pute between Brazil and the Argen-
tine has, according to the Chilean
author, mae the relations between
the three countries somewhat uncer-
tain.
The writer maintains that it is we'll
known in Chile that a secret alliance
o. both an offensive and defensive
character has for some time existed
between Uruguay and Brazil What
Nid Chile's attitude be in the event OF
crisis" he asks and proceeds to
a. er by saying that undoubtedly
hi own country would join the Braz-
iilaa uruguayan alliance. While We
ha no boundary dispute with the
Argentine" he continues, we still
Lave an unsettled question with
Perl. Thirty-six years ago we won
l. onquest their rich territories of
Ia ara and africa. Today we hold
them still by force Of arms. We have
fo' eo'onized them. They are not YET
Ch:leanized. OF the 10000 inhabitants
OF facna 1880 are Bolivian, 1900
feu ians and 1900 Chileans, but of
these latter 1900 form the military
gar son and the remaining 400 are
civil employees or servants of the
military The people of the districts
cal Tor plebiscite to determine to
Nfish government they belong and the
the Chilean government dare not ac-
code to their request. Peru knows
this and would welcome a war which
vo, ID help her regain her lost prov
iHces. So in the final lineup we shall
e" Argentina and Peru pitted against
Brazil. Chile and Uruguay"
TIE views of the writer are in no
way substantiated by public opinion
Il ghout South America, but is a
widely expressed and almost unan-
imors view that the A. B. c. means
nothing and is an impractical scheme