Evening star., 1941-07-08
Miniature War

| NlIIlIUtuIS WI
Unless speedily smothered by
diplomacy, war between Peru and
Ecuador threatens to mar the graf
flying peace which prevails through
out Latin America. Thus far the
fighting has been confined to clashes
between frontier guards in the un-
| developed region of the Upper
Amazon Valley. Compared with the
titanic struggles raging in Europe
and Asia, these remote skirmishes
seem almost insignificant.
Yet sad experience teaches that
even the smallest armed clash any
where between nations quickly may
attain serious proportions. And the
recent ferociouS struggle between
Bolivia and Paraguay over the dis
puted Chaco area proves that Latin
American battles are as fierce and
bloody as those anywhere else.
Already patriotic passions are rising
in both Ecuador and Peru. Nowhere
are nationaliSms more touchy and
more easily aroused than in Latin
America
This region of the Upper Amazon
is one of the chronic sore spots IN
South America For more than
century it has been the scene OF a
whole series of frontier disputes
among no less than five countries
Spanish-speaking Colombia, Ecua-
dor, Peru and Bolivia and Portu-
euese-speaking Brazil. The reason
is that, until recent years, it was
vast no-man's land of forest and
Jungle inhabited only by wild Indian
tribes.
During the colonial period of Latin
America, the claims Of Spain and
Portugal to this region oVerlapped,
but the dispute was academic be-
cause the Upper Amazon was entirely
unexplored. These claims were IN
herited by the independent nations
which arose during the revolutionary
period, and as their respective from
tiers of exploration and settlement
penetrated the wilderness, it was IN
evitable that clashes should take
place.
Brazil and Peru have been most
active in expanding into the Upper
Amazon country, owing to the COM
parative ease of access by large rivers
which both countries enjoy. Fortu-
nately, their respective boundaries
we're established without serious
conflict. A few years ago, Peru and
Colombia clashed dangerously, but
here again the dispute was settled
without war after prolonged negotia-
tions aided by the League of Nations
and the friendly Offices of other
Latin American states.
The dispute between Peru and
Ecuador thus remains the only one
which has never been adjusted. only
last spring a clash occurred, tempo
rarily smoothed over by the joint
diplomatic efforts of Argentina, Bra
zil and the United States. Media
ton was accepted by both countries
in principle, but Peru made reserva-
tions which rendered her acceptance
Of little effect. Tension continued
to mount until the present fighting
started. Suspicious are rife in Latin
America that German and Italian
agents have had a hand in stirring
up trouble, hoping thereby to divert
attention from Axis designs and
weaken hemisphere solidarity.
Should war unfortunately result,
the contestants are unevenly
matched. Compared TO Peru, Ecua-
dor is much smaller, poorer and more
backward. It's army is minute, its
navy virtually nom existent. Further
more, Ecuador has no easy means of
access to the disputed region, while
Peru could readily concentrate con-
siderable forces there. Already 1t
has been estimated that Peru has
$4,000 soldiers on the spot, whereas
the Ecuadorian troops do not exceed
1000. 1t looks, therefore, as though
Peru could make good its claims by
force. However, it is to be hoped for
the benefit of all concerned that no
such unhappy event will take place.