Evening star., 1921-09-11
BY BEN McKELWAY.

lCPEAKING before the assembly
Of the league Of nations in
|A Geneva last week Senior Carlos
Aramayo, head Of the Bolivian
delegation, referring to the treaty Of
1904 between Chile and Bolivia con-
corning the disputed provinces Of
Tacna and africa. said: There can
be no hope for permanent peace in
South America SO long as that treaty
remains unrevised.''
Senior Aramayo only expressed a
universal feeling which exists toward
, the three-cornered controversy in
Tacna and africa. The one alterna-
tive to a peaceful and satisfactory
settlement OF the dispute is. in the
opinion of many, a devastating war
which would arrest the wonderful
development now in progress along
And that war waits only for the time
when the present superior strength
of Chile is no longer feared by her
neighbors to the north and north
west.
For South America the league of ma
indicated now by the failure of eight
member republics in Latin America
to send their delegates. 1t is we'll
nigh proven. however. in the attitude
of Bolivia and Chile, which. roughly
expressed. is .'if you don't decide to
my way of thinking, I'm going to
quit" And this attitude many be-
lieve to be characteristic where any
South American republics domestic
problems are passed upon by a league
assembly.
While the Tacna-Arica dispute is
<IpA &C. Nnlv NJ
many boundary Controversies of long
standing which remain unsettled in
South America. Venezuela, and CO.
lcmbia. Peru and Ecuador. Paraguay
and Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. as
we'll as the smaller countries Of Cen
trail America, all have their troubles
over ancient boundary lines. Many
of these disputes will be peacefully
settled. But there always turks the
danger Of bitterness which may find
its open expression in war, always
harmful for the prosperity and de-
velopment of any country.
What. then. will repiace the league
of nations in South America as a
tribunal by which such disputes may
be amicably settled, a tribunal whose
authority and decisions would be uni
versally respected and accepted with
out question? The league of nations
never attained that point. 1t hardly
had chance. But in it's birth many
of those interested in South America
saw an opportunity for filling what
has come to be known as a real need.
And in its apparent failure. lacking
the necessary support twhere South
America is concerned) of the United
States, the need for such a tribunal as
it has failed to provide, comes up
again.
1t has been tried before. There is
nothing new in the idea. Bolivar. ac-
I'D >f 1,a ct h
America ever produced. conceived the
notion of an international congress
of the Latin American republics which
would sit in Panama and decide on
disputes between the represented
states. The congress convened in
Panama city. Nothing came of it.
partly through the disinterested atti-
tude> of the United States, and the
congress died natural death when 1t
, met for its second session in Mexico
city. Bolivar's ideal died with him.
! and since then no concerted attempt
has been made along the lines laid
out by him. There have been sue
cessful treaties and federations. there
! have been amicab1e settlements of
vexatious questions. but nothing last
ing, nothing which would have a bear
ing on future disputes has been
accomplished Carnegie presented a
| beautiful building for planned court
| of justice for the Central American
I
J but it never worked. and the building
at San Jose, Costa Ric., is the only
monument.
| Leadership in the movement for
| some sort of federation between the
countries of Latin America must come
out of Latin America. True. the sup
port Of this country would be looked
| upon as necessity for success. and
| there is little doubt that it would
be given. cheerfully given, and every
\ thing done to hasten its realization.
Eut one Of the three powerful coun-
tries of Latin America must lead and
jreceiye the support Of the other two.
| This fact is considered the principal
/ barrier. Chile. proud and strong. Will
never support a movement which has
question which. to her way Of think
| ing. has only one solution. Argentine
| considers herself more European than
Latin American, and has always held
| herself a little aloof from her sister
| republics 1t is not believed she would
voluntarily take the initiative in such
move. Brazil. contented with her
lot. free from dispute with her neigh
bors. has never had brought home to
| her the need which many other Latin
American republics feel for an agree
ment among themselves for the peace
full settlement OF their international
questions.
At the same time. Brazil is con-
sfdered by many as the logical coun-
try to take the lead In such a move
ment. She is the only republic of
South America which has kept her
skirts clear of entanglements over
disputed territory. She has bought
and she has sold land in dealings
with her sister republics. and she has
settled her difficulties with. them
without bloodshed. Free from am
bition to gain by her superior