Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-11-17
The Christ of the Andes.

At the highest point on the noun
tain boundary between Chile and Ar
gentine there stands great figure
of Christ. The figure is cast from
the bronze of melted cannon. In the
left hand is an uplifted cross, and the
The figure rests on a granite sphere
on which are sketched the outlines
of the world. Two bronze tablets,
one of them given by the working men
of Argentine and Chile, the other by
the working women, bear this pledge:
Sooner shall these mountains
crumble into dust than Argen-
tines and Chileans break peace
to which they have pledged them
selves at the feet of Christ the
Redeemer."
The story of the Christ of the An
des is told by Gilbert Murray:
During the latter half of the nine
teenth century there were incessant
wars among the South American Re
publics. War nourished hatred, hatred
engendered fresh wars. The enmi-
ties seemed beyond redress.
1T so happened that there had
never been war between the Argentine
Republic and Chile. They had, how
ever, long standing dispute about
some frontier territories which reach
ed a head in 1899. Both countries
prepared for the worst. Warships
were laid down, ornaments amassed,
taxes increased and increased. BY
Easter, 1900, the two nations stood
poised on the brink of war.
Meantime, both sides were cele-
brating the solemnities of Holy Week.
Monsignor Benavente, an Argentine
bishop, preached on Easter day at
Buenos Ayres. But his address was
not an ordinary sermon; it was a pas
sionate appeal for peace.
1.-The news of it spread across the
Andes, and Chilean bishop took up
the message. Thereon the two BIZ
shops set out, each in his own coun-
try, going from town to town and
from village to village, to preach
peace and reconciliation. At first
their only supporters were the women
and the priests, but gradually the men
followed. Then crowds came. Peas
ants flOcked in from remote places,
and the whole country awOke. At
last, under pressure of petitions from
every part of the community, the two
governments were obliged to take
steps to consider the establishment
of a permanent peace. The frontier
question was referred to a board of
arbitration appointed by King Ed
ward. The territories under dispute
were divided. Finally, urged by the
will of two peoples, the governments
concluded in 1902 an unconditional
treaty of arbitration, one of the ear
list of such treaties known to the
world.
1T had been the hope of the
preacher whose words had prevented
the war in 1900 that some day Christ
would be seen, standing over two re-
conciled peoples. And the hope has
been fulfilled. The guns of the
frontier fOrtresses were taken down
and melted in the arsenal of Buenos
Ayres; and cast into a great bronze
figure of Christ. The government it
self undertook to carry it up 10000
feet to the mountain top. 1t was
taken by train as far as the rails
were laid, then drawn on gun carri-
ages by mules to the summit; and
where even mules failed at the ascent,
soldiers and sailors dragged it up with
ropes. On March Is, 1904, it was
dedicated to the world in the pres
ence of vast crowds of civilians and
soldiers from either side of the
frontier; the Argentine soldiers en-
camped by invitation on the Chilean
side, and the Chileans on the Argen-
tine side. Martial music and the
thunder of the guns proclaimed the
Inauguration of the law of peace. The
statue was unveiled in profound 81
lence, and at sunset the two peoples
Foil to proyar tooot h or for tho ,,ooco