Needing More Watching Over

The Christ of the Andes statue, standing on the Chile-Argentine boundary line symbolizes a pledge made by the two countries. As long as the statue stands, it was agreed, there shall be peace and goodwill between Argentina and Chile.

But, ironically enough, the statue itself was the cause of what almost resulted in open conflict. When the work was completed, someone pointed out that the Saviour’s back was toward Chile. Chileans felt they had been slighted. But while indignation was at its height, a Chilean newspaperman saved the day. In an editorial he explained: “The Argentineans need more watching over than the Chileans.” This satisfied the people. They laughed good-naturedly—and went back to their daily tasks.