"CHRIST OP THE ANDES."

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20021, 1 September 1930, Page 13

"CHRIST OP THE ANDES."

TO THE BDITOB OF TEZ FBESS. Sir,—The interesting- letter in your issue of Saturday suggesting the erection of a Christ of the Hills overlooking the sea surrounding our east coast 'fails to advance any real reason tor the move. In the case of the Christ of the Andes the reason was quite clear and possessed a beautiful significance. Owing somewhat to the mtluence of The Hague Court a compact was made between Argentina ana Chile, concluding a long drawn-out quarrel over boundaries. In 1900 eacn nation prepared for war, and spent millions for defence when the hght should come. At that time two Bishops, one in Chile and one in Argentina, and the British Ministers to these countries urged a peaceful settlement. The Bishops even asked more, that a statue-of the Prince of Peace be erected upon the border line where it might stand for ever as a pledge pt peace between the two peoples, in time the countries agreed to submit the controversy to the King of hngland for arbitration, and part of the disputed land was given to each country. Three years after' the _ outbreak of the trouble, a cruiser bearing the treaties of peace left Valparaiso in Chile for Buenos Ayres, and was met by the whole Argentine fleet and 3000 other vessels joined them in this tremendous welcome. The King's representative was met by the delegates of the respective States, who said: "In your hands we place ourselves, shutting our eyes to all mean and narrow . thoughts, and praying God that He mav open them upon the luminous horizon of an honourable peace." As a symbol of their covenant with one another, a statue of Christ was placed upon an elevation of the Andes, fourteen thousand feet above the sea, on the boundary line of the two States. The great statue was cast in Buenos Avres, from the bronze cannon taken at the time when the Argentine was fighting Spain for independence; and the final act of dedication took place, amidst a crowd of some hundreds of people who climbed the mountains to witness the momentous I event, on March 13th. 1904. On the granite base are inscribed the words;

Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than Argentines and Chileans break the peace which at the feet of Christ the Redeemer they have sworn to maintain. .Until we in New Zealand have taken the momentous step of completely disarming and declaring our solemn intention of renouncing war _ for ever there, can be no rational object served by erecting such a symbol of'peace on our hill tops.—Yours, etc., r C. R. N. MACKIE. August 30th, 1930.