Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/303

LEFT ARGENTINA 243 ARGOL Army and Navy. — There is a compul- sory military law which has produced an efficient army. There are five mili- tary districts, each of which supplies a division of 20,000 men, with a i*eserve of about 250,000. The navy includes two large dreadnoughts of nearly 30,000 tons each. There are also armored cruisers, protective cruisers, gun boats, torpedo boats and miscellaneous craft. People. — As a whole, this vast country is very thinly inhabited, some parts of it as yet being very little known. The native Indians were never very numer- ous, and have given little trouble to the European settlers. Tribes of them yet in the savage state still inhabit the less known districts, and live by hunting and fishing.^ Some of the Gran Chaco tribes are said to be very fierce, and Euro- pean travelers have been killed bv them. The European element is strong in the republic, more than half of the popula- tion being Europeans or of pure Euro- pean descent. The typical inhabitants of the pampas are the Gauchos, a race of half-breed cattle-rearers and horse- breakers. History. — The river La Plata was dis- covered in 1512 by the Spanish navi- gator Juan Diaz de Solis, and the La Plata territory had been brought into the possession of Spain by the end of the 16th century. In 1810 the territory cast off the Spanish rule, and in 1816 the independence of the United States of the Rio de la Plata was formally de- clared. The present constitution dates from 1853, being subsequently modified. The executive power is vested in a President, elected by the representatives of the 14 provinces for a term of six years. A National Congress of two chambers — a Senate and a House of Dep- uties — yields the legislative authority. The capital of the republic is Buenos Aires {q. v.). Argentina was the only important South American country which did not break off diplomatic rela- tions with Germany during the war. This caused great discontent among the people of the country. The failure to sever relations with Germany^ was at- tributed largely to the activities of Count Carl Luxburg, the German min- ister. He was extremely active carry- ing on German propaganda and this came to a head in September, 1917, when telegrams from him to the German War Office were made public. These telegrams contained extremely damaging matter, the most famous con- taining the advice from Luxburg to the German Government to sink Argentine ^ips "spurlos" (without leaving a trace), if they were to be attacked at 17 — Vol. I — Cyc all. The publication of this correspond- ence caused great excitement both in the United States and in Europe. Lux- burg was recalled. Public sentiment even before this had been strongly against neutrality, and President Iri- goyen, who had apparently strong Ger- man sympathies, was bitterly attacked. In April a mob wrecked the offices of the German newspapers in Buenos Aires and attacked the German legation. These disturbances were quieted, but broke out again on the publication of the Luxburg correspondence. There were serious industrial disturbances in 1919, including strikes in the port of Buenos Aires. Collisions between strik- ers and police occurred and many per- sons were killed. The strike spread' throughout the country and threatened to be general, but was finally ended without more serious trouble. During the year there were over 260 strikes, involving about 265,000 workmen. ARGENTINE, a silvery-white slaty variety of calc-spar, containing a little silica with laminje usually undulated. It is found in primitive rocks and fre- quently in metallic veins. Argentine is also the name of a small British fish (scopelus borealis), less than two inches long, and of a silvery color. ARGENTITE, sulphide of silver, a blackish or lead-gray mineral, a val- uable ore of silver found in the crystal- line rocks of many countries. ARGILLACEOUS ROCKS are rocks in which clay prevails (including shales and slates). ARGINirS.a3 (ar-gin'6-se), a number of small islands S. E. of the coast of Lesbos, a province of Asia Minor. In the vicinity of these islands the Athe- nians, under Conon, 406 B. c, defeated the Spartans under Collicratidos in a hard contested naval battle. ARGIVES, or ARGIGI, the inhabitants of Argos; used by Homer and other ancient authors as a generic appellation for all the Greeks. ARGOL, a salt deposited by wine on the inside of the bottles and barrels. It is dissolved more easily in water than in alcohol. It is mostly composed of potassic bitartrate, KHC4H40c, and con- tains varying quantities of calcic of tar- trate, mucilaginous matter, and coloring. It may be purified in hot water, and clarified by adding clay, and recrystal- lizing. In repeating the process it becomes white and is called* cream of tartar.