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 the inevitable consequence. The claims will be briefly exam- ined, for they, as well as the war, have geographic relationships of deep significance.

All of the vast territory of the Spanish crown in South Amcrica was long divided into separate vicerovalties, and out of these in a sense the future republics were made. The lines of demarcation between the political units of colonial times were laid down in conformity with the approximations of the early Spanish adventurers, or conguistadores, who overran the coun- try; and these lines, recognized by royal decrees and in prac- tice, were the basis of the treaty articles, relating to bounda- ries, that were framed after the wars of liberation. The present territory of Chile was disposed of in three concessions. Pi- zarro, the conqueror of Peru, in 1529 obtained a concession of 470 leagues, extending from latitude 1° 20’ to 25° 31 24""S. A second concession was granted to Almagro, Pizarro’s lieuten- ant, the third appointee being Almagro’s successor, Valdivia.

The citation of different authors to show acknowledged ownership by Peru or Chile or Bolivia has been a favorite method of argument by partisan writers of each one of these countries. The method is invalid on the common ground of thorough inconsistency; for each may easily bring, and cach has brought, to notice as many important “ authorities” as the other. Several typical illustrations are in point. In 1789 the Spanish sovereign dispatched a scientific expedition for the purpose of exploring the west coast of South America. The commanders, Malaspina and Bustamente, had access to all the documents in the archives of Spain relating to the Indies. Upon completing their observations the explorers drew up a map of the world on which the twenty-second parallel was represented as the northern limit of Chile, thus assigning to Chile a larger share of the disputed territory than she actually possessed or than she had even claimed since the first founda- tion of the colony. Absurd as this assignment appears as proof of ownership, it is, nevertheless, gravely adduced in a