Evening star., 1939-02-12
Christ Of the Andes
Marks Era of Peace
Bu Frederic J. Hdskin.

will celebrate on March 13 the 35th an
niversary of the erection Of the colossal
statue of Christ. The occasion will re-
call the unique and impressive events
which led to the erection of this re-
markable peace monument $4,000 feet
above the sea.
Near the close of the last century these
two prosperous and high-spirited repub-
lies Of South America were on the verge
of war. They were increasing their
armaments to the utmost of their ability.
They each had two gigantic warships of
the latest pattern building in the ship
yards of Europe and were spending in
credible sums of money upon these
preparations for war.
What brought the two republics so near
to conflict was the revival Of an old dis
pute about the boundary between them
on the Andes-a controversy involving
the question Of the title to 10000 square
miles of territory. The dispute had been
rendered more acute by the discovery
that in the Patagonian section the
boundary was not continuously marked
by mountain crests, and that there were
valuable rivers in the region sending
their waters through the hills to the seas
on the Chilean side. This discovery had
caused Chile to put forward claims to
certain parts of the region.
The British Ministers residing at
Buenos Aires and Cantiago used their
Offices with the two governments to pre-
vent the calamity of war and to secure
peaceful settlement of the dispute.
This effort to prevent hostilities was sup
ported by churches in both countries. On
Easter Sunday, 1900, during the festival
of the Catholic Church at Buenos Aires
a fervent appeal was made by one OF the
bishops in behalf of peace, and q pro-
posal made that statue of Christ he
placed on the Andean border between
the two countries as a symbol of peace.
Petitions were sent to the Legislatures.
and through these the executives were
reached.
The result was that treaty was entered
into by the two governments, submitting
the controversy to the arbitration of the
King of England. He entrusted the case
to eminent jurists and expert geogra-
pliers, who examined it carefully anc
submitted their decision, awarding par.
of the disputed territory to one of the
republics and part to the other. The
decision was cheerfully accepted by both.
Much gratifled with the outcome of the
arbitration, and urged forward by pow
erful popular movement, the two govern
ments then went further, and in June.
1903 concluded treaty by the terms of
which they pledged themselves for
period of five years to submit all contro-
versies arising between them to arbitra-
ton, the first general arbitration treaty
ever concluded. In further treaty they
agreed to reduce their armies to the
proportions of police forces. to stop the
building of battleships then under con-
struction and to diminish the naval arm
aments which they already possessed.
The provisions of these treaties were
carried out as fast as practicable. The
land forces were reduced, heavy ord
nance taken off war vessels and several
of the vessels turned over to the COM
lllClSIdl 1lCClS ."Olh Oll tllC 1Oul wal =
ships was arrested and some Of the ships
sold.
The results of this disarmament have
been most remarkable. With the money
saved by the lessening of military and
naval expenses, internal and coast i'm
provements have been made. Good roads
have been constructed. Chile turned an
arsenal into school for manual train
ing. One or two of Argentina's previous
war vessels went into its commercial fleet
and began to ply the Atlantic in hon.
orable business. The great trans-Andean
railway through the heart of the noun
tains, which brought Buenos Aires and
Santiago within 18 hours of each other,
was soon completed.
But more significant than any of these
material results vas the change in the
attitude of the Argentines and Chileans
toward each other. All the old bitterness
and distrust passed away, and the most
cordial good feeling and confidence have
existed through the years.
The suggestion to erect a statue of
Christ on the boundary at Puente del
Inca was quickly carried into execution
AS early as 1901 on the initiative of the
president of the Christian Mothers As
sociation of Buenos Aires, the women OF
the Argentine capital, who had already
manifested. the deepest interest in the
new movement, undertook the task of
securing funds and having statue Gre
ated. The work was instrusted to young
| Argentine sculptor Mateo Alfonso When
his design was completed and accepted
the statue was cast at the arsenal OF
Buenos Aires from old cannon taken from
the ancient fortress outside the city.
1t was more than year from the time
| 1t was cast until the statue was placed in
its destined position. On May 81, 1908
Chilean representatives, bearing the
| treaties for final ratification, came by
sea to Buenos Aires. They were met
| down the river and escorted to the city
by large fleet of gayly decked steam
ers. For a week there was round of
| festivities. When the treaties were finally
| signed, on May %, it was decided to place
| the monument on the highest accessible
point of the Andes between the two
countries