The Nome nugget., 1942-04-17
KNOW YOUR NE!GHBOR X + * x * A * * * # # ***+* Sa+ *****
 
CHILE - COASTAL EMPIRE


 If that drop of iodine sneared over bruse or abrasion could share the intelligence and tendencies of it's hu man beneficiary it would, likely enough have much 10 say of it's unapprecated dignity and importance. in in peace of it's parent nitrate of soda; of the ntraes power in life and death in the human family; and, finally of the worlds only producer of natural ntrates a commercial scale-the Republic of Chile
 Chile an empire in itself great ribbon of 286 396 square miles, spread along the of the Pacific for nearly 5000 miles, reaches farther south than other nation of the American Continent It is times referred "the California of South America If there is similarity to relative location shape and topography the parallel cannot be carried far
 Two CaliforniaS nearly. could be contained within the boundaries of Chile Then would hold Germany. Belgium. Denmark Holland and Switzerland Cane Horn and the Chilean archipeooa are about as far from the bleak desert country of the north where the nitrate fields. San Francisco is from New York The belt line at it's broadest, is about the distance from Washington New York.
 Stretched out between the great Andean mountain range and the Pacific, Chile has climate varvno from the heat of the baked northern desert to the and ice of the stormy deep south Nature has portion ed the country roughly into three productive zones In the extreme south adjacent to the strait of Mage Ian, are good grazing areas where Stock-ralSlng IS rapidly developing industry To the north is the great Central Valley famed of the worlds garden spots Here all the products of the temperate and most of those of sub-ropical climates grow luX urianty This is the thickly settled and the highly cultivated part of the country. And here in fertile valley between mountains and is the beau ltul city Of Santiago On the coast, only 116 miles away is the equally famous port of Valparaiso
 And last, but by no means least is the zone of the nitrate fields. The eyes of the nations of world al war, the struggle in defense of the ideals of the New World moves toward decision, will turn with more and more eagernesS toward Chies desert storehouse For nitrate with its byproduct iodine, is a principal item in the manufacture of explosives. A necessity of war, both for the making and mending of wounds it IS priceless too, as nutrient for man and his hus- bandrV.
 In times of peace and normal demand Chilean nit rate was second only to Chilean copper, another need now. As a world-producer of this metal, Chile has, in addition surpuses of iron and coal After than hundred years, the mining of gold has been sumed Recent discoveries of oil seepageS may be her aid of another great industry to come
 Chiles is republican form of government, with ex- ecutve legislative and judicial branches. It's present constitution dates back only to September l8 1925, but it retains many of the important features of one adopted nearly hundred years before it. This older constitution largely the work of the great states Diego Portales Minister of States under Presi- dent Prieto from 1881 to 184l This constitution in turn, superseded still older one Ches first It was drafted by committee appointed by the famous Gen. eral O'Hggins shortly after the Chileans, with the help of the Argentine patriot and soldier General San umph the Battle of Mapo April g. 1918, marks the end of Spanish power in Chile and the birth of the republic.
 o a descriptive of neighbor nations
 pared by Union for the information of
 students participating in 1922 Inter-American Student
 Forum and for their parents teachers friends.