10 68 ARGENTINA 



and Chile by rail, was completed and opened to traffic early in May, while an agreement 

 was signed between Argentina and Uruguay for the laying of a cable between the capitals 

 of the two countries, to form a part of their national telegraphic departments. Steps 

 were taken towards establishing wireless communication with Europe, Asia and Africa, 

 stations having already been erected along the Argentine coast. During the latter part 

 of 1910 Mr. James Bryce, British Ambassador to the United States, paid a visit to five of 

 the South American States, including Argentina, calling twice at Buenos Aires. 



In January 1911 a series of destructive conflagrations occurred in Buenos Aires, 

 generally attributed to incendiarism; property was destroyed to the value of 3,000,000, 

 including the Custom House and most of its contents, as well as a large number of 

 places of business. On February i3th the severe drought the worst known since 1877 

 broke. In the following month (March loth) two Argentine steamers were seized by 

 Paraguayan insurgents, and several Argentine citizens suffered ill-treatment. Sir 

 Walter B. Townley left Buenos Aires on March 3rd. In the same month, the Argentine 

 Club was opened in London. In April diplomatic relations with Bolivia, after a long 

 period of suspension, were renewed, the Bolivian Minister in Lima, Peru, being selected 

 as the representative at Buenos Aires. In May were held the centennial celebrations 

 of the birth of Sarmiento, a former President of the Republic. Serious scandals in con- 

 nexion with the administration of the Government Land and Colonies Department 

 were brought to light, and an official investigation was ordered; but, upon the earnest 

 representations of influential parties, the President in June ordered all proceedings to 

 be stopped. On July 29th the new British Minister, Sir Reginald T. Tower, arrived. 



An executive prohibition regarding Italian immigration occasioned much ill-feeling 

 between Argentina and Italy. Difficulties had arisen between the two governments 

 owing to Argentina insisting upon sending medical inspectors on board emigrant liners, 

 which were already under the supervision of a medical officer of the Italian navy. Upon 

 the Argentine government refusing to withdraw this measure, in spite of the objection 

 of the Italian government to admitting on board the medical officers of the republic, the 

 Italian Government, " with a view to upholding the national dignity," suspended by 

 decree all emigration to Argentina. The decree was cancelled in August 1912, and the 

 emigration movement from Italy was resumed. 



The Foreign Offices of Argentina and Chile entered into a railway agreement between 

 the two countries with the object of preventing a tariff war, and of facilitating inter- 

 national communication. On August 26th the new Argentine " Dreadnought " battle- 

 ship, the " Rivadavia," was launched at Quincy, Mass., U.S.A. 



In September the President vetoed certain subsidies agreed to by Congress, but which 

 had not provided the necessary resources, the Executive exercising his prerogative 

 under article 70 of the Constitution. In this month the Supreme Court of the Argentine 

 Republic ruled that all railway companies were liable to payment of Municipal Taxes, 

 against which decision, appearing to be in contravention of article 8 of the Mitre Law, 

 the different companies petitioned Congress. 



A further 2345 miles of new railway were constructed in 1911, of which 746 miles were 

 State lines. The total mileage in the Republic now amounted to 19,843 miles. Owing 

 to labour troubles and inundations, some of the railways suffered in their traffic receipts, 

 although dividends were but little affected. The government sanctioned the amalgama- 

 tion of the Buenos Aires Western and the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway Com- 

 panies, with a'combined capital of over 68,000,000, subject to a railway being constructed 

 from Dolores to Ajo, and a deduction on all freights being granted to the Government. 



In August 1912 the administrations of the Cordoba Central Railway, the Cordoba 

 and Rosario Railway, and the Cordoba Central Buenos Aires Extension Railway, agreed 

 upon amalgamation subject to the approval of the Argentine Government. A powerful 

 London-New York Syndicate, in July 1912, consummated the combination of an 

 important system of railways in Argentina, including the provinces of Entre Rios and 

 Corrientes. In November the Government refused the offer made by an Anglo-French 

 Syndicate for the acquisition of the State Railways. 



