The Washington herald., 1920-04-06
~ JAMES II. COLLINS.

Valparaiso, Chile. April 1.-When
a Yankee hears that the liberator
of Chile was named "O'Higgins." "
he somehow feels that there must
be a bond of understanding with
a country like that. possibly a melt
ing pot country like his own.
The O'Higgins was a Chilean by
birth. but OF Irish descent. His
father before him. Ambrose O'Hig-
gins. emigrated from the Emerald
Isle to Chile a poor lad and worked
his way up until he was viceroy
OF Peru under Spanish rule.
Chilean history and the Chilean
telephone directories are full of
British, Scotch and Irish names
the Cochranes, the MacKennas. the
Edwards and others who married
into Spanish families, helped throw
off the Spanish yoke. and left de-
scendants who retain the original
family names.
But the first great ChiIeans were
two Araucanian Indians-Caupoli-
can and Lautaro. o..
or all the wild Indians found in
the Western world. the Araucanians.
of Chile. were certainly widest
warlike, passionately devoted To
their country, and unconquerable.
Men of iron. with souls of tigers
the Spaniards called them. and
after their death their bodies were
I In, he ha1
canian warriors might thereby rise
to the clouds and continue fighting
dead Spaniards. These liberty-lov-
ing people produced two chiefs who
ranged as frst-class generals.
Adopted New weapons.
Caupolican was first to oppose the
invaders after Santiago had been es-
tablished by the Conquistador VAL
DIVA. A mature strategist, he
learned rapidly from the Spaniards
in battle. dlscarding bows for pixies,
adopting regimental organization
and capturing horses which were
bred for cavalry. His story has
been immortalized in the Chilean
epic. La Araucana," by Alfonso de
Ercilla. a Spaniard, who fought
against him.
Lautero was a military genius.
who outmaneuvered the Spaniards.
fooled them with camouflage de-
vices like dummy reserves of boys
and women with poles, and finally
conquered and killed Valdivia, fall
ing in battle himself when only %.
Although It took nearly three CEN
turies Of fighting to virtually de-
stroy the Araucanians, of no part
of their national history are the
Chileans more proud today, and to
Araucanian character Is undoubted-
ly due much of their own, patriot
ism and warlike character when
aroused. The Chileans have not
been aggressors, but neither have
they ever lost a war. The single
star on Chile's flag is the Arau-
canian national symbol.
Great Men In Early 10Th Century.
The most outstanding figures
loom up in the days of indepen-
dence. between 1910 and 1925. Gen.
Bernardo O'Higgins was educated
in Chile and Europe, organized a
company of soldiers and demon
strated fighting ability during the
beginning of the revolution against
the Spaniards. and was driven
across the Andes to Mendoza, Ar
gentina. with his aide. Col. Juan
Mackenna, in 1914. There he worked
with the Argentine Gen. San Mar
tin to organize the dauntless cow
boy Army of the Andes" 1t was
little army only 5000 men and
1,6o9 horses, but 1t took three years
in the making. Women gave their
Jewels to provide equipment. and
the famous Franciscan friar-patriot.
Luis Beltran, a true captain of in
dustry. made muskets and powder.
melted the church bells and cast
cannon, provided gun carriages,
horse gear, clothes and shoes. Mean
while, the Andean passes were be-
ing explored and prepared. and the
army rigidly drilled. In January.
1917, O'Higgins and San Martin
went over the top of the Western
hemisphere and cleared the Span
iards out of Chile forever. From
Mendoza to victory the job took
ltwenty-four days. O'Higgins took
the reserve force through the pass
OF Los Patos. After independence
had been proclaimed he became die
tator 'of Chile. He formed a navy.
under the command of Admiral
lCochrane, an Englishman. after
ward lord and sent him north to
liberate Peru. Four. thousand
Chileno and Argentine soldiers were
transported. and there were q large
number of English officers. Coch-
rane captured Spanish frigate in
the port of Callao. and San Martin
landed his troops and began ,oper-
ations which led to the liberation
OF Peru in 1924 O,I5ienins was