CHILDS, GEORGE WILLIAM

(18291894), philanthropist and publisher, was b. in Baltimore, Md. For ten years he| published the Philadelphia Ledger, making it one of the first cheap newspapers in the United States. It attained a large circulation and considerable influence under his direction. He made gifts of Shakespeare memorial fountain to Str at ford-on-Avon, and a memorial window in Westminster Abbey to Cowper and Herbert. i cere hy ‘ein e7eybe 20 W) ene along W. coast between main chain of Andes and Pacific; greatest length, 2,661 m.; breadth varies from 60 to 273| m.; bounded N. by Peru, E. by Bolivia and Argentina. Surface generally |slopes from E. to W., and also from N. to §., Andes being higher in N. than in §.;} average height of Andes about 9,000 ft.— highest peak, Aconcagua, 22,867 ft. Many of these mountains are dormant or sub-| dormant volcanoes. From E. to there is slope of Andes, central valley strip; first slopes down as it pa es southward and finally dips under sea so that| Coast Cordillera takes the form of chain of islands parallel to southern third coast and curving 8. round Tierra del Fuego; Juan Fernandez I., W. of Val-| paraiso, also belongs to Chile. Climate|Nor very varied; desert of Atacama practi-| cally rainle ; chief rivers are Maipu in| Concepcion, and Valdivia, providing a large amount of potential water-power. Flora includes eucalyptus, cacti, palms, peumo trees, cypre . Fauna includes] lizards, frogs, buzzards, parrots, etc. Largest towns are Santiago, capital, and] Val para i so. Soil of valleys in central provinces is very fertile; over half lati on engaged in agriculture, producing wheat and other cereals, rearing sheep, cattle, growing vines, oranges, figs, olives, and other fruits, beetroot, pro-| ducing silk. In 8. and islands are dense| forests; in N. are enormous deposits of nitrates, which are great source of| wealth. Other minerals include salt,| borax, copper, silver, tin, manganese, gold, cobalt, iron, sulphur, coal. Indus-| tries include copper smelting, sugar ee tanning, manufacture of soap, candles, chemicals, boots, shoes, textiles, Among exports are honey, copper, nitrates, guano, wool, silver, ore, grains, ET | flour, skins, furs, borax, caoutchouc, | coffee, cotton, Peruvian bark, manga- | nese ore, sugar, vegetables; among im- | ports—textiles, metals, coal, machinery, oilcloth, cordage, tools, earthenware, leather, paper, spirits, scientific instru- | ments, codliver oil, pianos, etc. Railway Santiago within 36 hours of Buenos | Aires. Chile is well provided with tele- | 8'aphic communications. Area, 289,829 | 54. m. Pop. 1920, 3,754,723. History.—Prehistoric inhabitants of a] Chile were Yaghans, savages of degraded type, and other tribes of whom most important were Araucanians. Northern | districts conquered by Incas of Peru in first half of XV A cent., their control en ing until a cent. later. After Spaniards had conquered Peru, they turned their | attention to Chile, first expedition being | Undertaken by Almargo in 1535, without much succe . He was followed by | Valdivia, to whom the foundation of | Santiago in 1541 is due. He also estab- | lished the towns of Concepcion, ImPerial, Villa Rica, and Valdivia, but was | ultimately taken, tortured, and killed by | the Indians in revenge for the cruelty With which he had treated them. WarW.|fare between Spaniards and Araucan- |/@Ns continued intermittently for two | 2nd a half centuries, and was character- | istic of whole colonial period, during Which the governors of Chile were of|Peru. A treaty of peace was concluded |im 1640, but wars again broke out at Various dates. Under O’Higgins, go ver from 1788 to 1795, considerable Progre was made; agriculture, ir tion, commerce, and labor conditions Were all improved, and many public | buildings erected.: The movement for independence be- — | gan about 1810, after the abdication of © Span. king, Ferdinand VII., which fol- - | lowed the Fr. invasion of Spain. The governor, Carrasco, was compelled by an a embly of patriots to hand in his i | resignation, and a new system of govern- — popu-|ment was establish; abolition of | | slavery was one of the first jaws pa ed., | For some time fighting was carried on | with Spaniards; and internal disputes — also occurred between rival patriotic © parties. For short time, from 1814 to — | 1817, Span. authority was restored;but in — Feb., 1817, the Chileans, under Bernardo, | O’Higgins and San Martin, completely — | defeated the Span. forces at Chacabuco; a an a embly was summoned, and — re-|O’Higgins became director. Spaniards © | were again defeated, at Maipo, in 1818, © | in which year Chile an independence was _ formally proclaimed. New republic was | recognized by U.S. shortly Hy £3 independence not recognized by Spain until 1844. O’Higgins abdicated in 1823, when Ramon Freire became president, and a constitution was framed which has since been twice modified. After Ramon ire’s administration came to an end, in 1826, there was a succe ion of presidents, each of whom ruled only a short time. Under Pinto, 1827-9, some progTe was made; army was reorganized, educational system improved, and fin an. cial reforms carried out. During his administration disputes occurred between the rival political parties. Don Joaquin Prieto was president from 1831 to 1841; famous minister of state, Portales, enforced the new constitution framed in 1833, and put down revolts and disorders with great severity, all revolutionists being banished from the country. Many of these sought refuge in Peru. On the announcement that Peru and Bolivia intended to unite as one republic, Chile declared war against them; and the Confederates were defeated by Chileans under Bulnes at Yungay in 1839. Bulnes became president in 1841. under his administration no revolutions occurred, and country enjoyed period of peace, during which great progre was made. He was succeeded by Manuel Montt, whose administration was marked by civil war and riots, both of which he succeeded in suppre ing; in his time educational and commercial matters were improved, banks founded, and many charitable institutions established. In 1861 Perez became president; his time occurred dispute with Spain, against whom war was declared by Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Val para i so suffered bombardment in 1866, but on withdrawal of Spaniards active hostilities ended in 1869. In 1870 expeditions were sent against the Indians, who had again been troublesome; they were defeated, and peace was concluded. A boundary dispute with Bolivia in-1879 led to long war with Peru, called the War of the Pacific. The first battles were at sea, and Chile an navy was victorious. Peruvians and Bolivians were completely defeated at Dolores in 1879, and again at Miraflores in 1881; other victories, both on land and sea, were won by Chile an arms, and the war "ended with peace treaties in 1883, whereby Chile acquired Ant of agast a from Bolivia, Tacna and Tarapaca from Peru. In 189] civil war again broke out, during Balmacada’s presidency; his ery being defeated at Coficofi and La lacilla, he committed suicide, and Jorge Montt became president. During Risco’s administration boundary dispute with Argentina was settled in 1902, the award being made by King Edward VII. Dr. Juan Luis Sanfuentes became president in 1915. j Government fs a republic on model of U.S., president holding office for five years. Legislative power vested in Congre , Consisting of senate and cham be r of deputies: the former has 37 members elected by popular vote for six years; latter, 118 members, elected by popula r vote for three years. President is a iste d in executive by council of state of eleven members and cabinet of six ministers. Inhabi tants include Spaniards, French, English, and other European is Roman Catholic. Education is free, but not obligatory. Military service is compulsory. The long-standing dispute with Peru as to the ownership of the provinces of Tacna and Arica were submitted to the arbitrat ion of the United States. The protocol provides for the arbitration of the United States to decide whether the plebiscit e provided for in the treaty of peace of 1883 between the two countries should be carried out. The President of the United States is to determine the conditions governing the plebiscite and a new conference was provided between Peru and Chile for finally settling the disputed questions. The Fifth Pan America n Confere nce was held in Santiago, in March, 1923. See Pan-AmenrCAN CONFERENCE. Severe earthquakes, in November, 1922, destroyed you sands of lives and property valued at millions of dollars, along the northern coast of Chile.