Retribution Inevitable 345 



the conquered provinces of Tacna and Arica for 

 a period of ten years, at the end of which time a 

 plebiscite should be taken in the two provinces 

 to determine to which of the two countries the 

 inhabitants preferred to belong. When the time 

 arrived for taking the referendum, the Chileans 

 refused to carry out their agreement. They said 

 in effect, "Might makes Right: we have possession 

 and do not propose to sacrifice the interests of our 

 nation. In the conflict between self-interest and 

 morality, morality must give way. " 



When we follow the inevitable train of retribu- 

 tion from this immoral act, we find the same 

 answer to our question. The result of this act of 

 injustice has been to blacken the whole subse- 

 quent history of the western coast of South 

 America. The armament competition between 

 Chile and Peru has cost a hundred times over the 

 value of the conquered provinces, and conditions 

 are so bad today that a Chilean ship cannot stop 

 at a Peruvian port or a Peruvian ship at a Chilean 

 port without the bitterness and hatred breaking 

 out into open hostilities. The conditions on the 

 west coast of South America are in striking contrast 

 to those on the east coast, where the Argentine 

 statesmen, after the victorious war with Para- 

 guay, recognized the identity of morality and the 

 highest self-interests of the nation in the state- 

 ment of Argentine policy "Victory gives no right. " 



A growing recognition of this identity between 

 morality and the highest self-interests of a nation 



