STATES AT WAR

Evening Star, Issue 21880, 17 November 1934, Page 2

STATES AT WAR

PARAGUAY ANO BOLIVIA A DUNEDIN MAN’S RECOLLECTIONS [Written by John Bhknton, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] Both Paraguay and Bolivia, now at war, are countries with remarkable histories. The writer, in the dav- if his youth, when the wanderlust r/z* upon him, spent a year m Paraguay,, and was much struck with the country and its people. The history of modern Paraguay begins with the arrival of the Jesuit fathers from Spain, about 300 years ago. At that time, as now, the land on the eastern side of the river was inhabited by the Guarani Indians, who were a, mild, inoffensive race. The Jesuits did a great work in civilising these Indians and in cultivating the land; but their influence caused local jealousies to arise, and they were recalled by the Spanish Government. The natives were lost without their leaders and instructors, and that promising Arcadia lapsed back into the wilderness. Asuncion, the capital, situated on the bank of the River Plate, is 1,200 miles from the sea. The bed of the river is continually changing, as is also its depth. The Jack of a sea port is a very great drawback to the trade of Paraguay. This difficulty of access and other things led to a lengthy period of stagnation or slow progress, and nothing of importance happened until the colonies of Spain revolted and won their independence. The war with Spain left the country in a wretched state. After several attempts at parliamentary rule Hr Francia was appointed as Dictator. He was a very far-seeing man, and I believe statesmen to-day can learn something from the way' in which he got Paraguay out of the ruin into which it had fallen. As a result of his policy of self-eon-taineclness the country prospered amazingly. Every young couple starting in life were given a piece of land with a house upon it, hut they were compelled to plant and maintain an orange grove upon it, and it was these groves that made Paraguay so famous for its oranges. A TERRIBLE DISASTER. When Francia died Lopez I. became Dictator. Lopez 11. succeeded his lather, and this man was responsible for the terrible disaster that came upon the land and its people. Ho spent the early years of his dictatorship, in adorning Asuncion with stately buildings and encouraging the arts of peace. Asuncion at this time had about 50.000 inhabitants. Some of the great buildings started by this Lopez still remain unfinished. War stopped the work, and so far ns 1 know jt has never been taken up since. When I saw these unfinished buildings they had stood so for near thirty years, and the unfinished work looked as though it had only been left a few weeks. The lovely climate was the reason for the good state of preservation-of the buildings. Later, a longing for military glory gripped Lopez. He aspired to make South America an Empire, Asuncion the capital, and himself the Emperor. He raised an army of 60,000 nTen, made all his war material in the country, even to the casting of the cannon, and established foundries and imported the workmen and the tools needed. Paraguay had at this time a population of about 750,000. A pretext f6r war was soon found, and for five years it was waged against the Empire of Brazil and the Republics of Argentina and Uruguay. The war only ended when Lopez was killed and the country entirely over-run. Nine out of every ten able-bodied men were killed, thousands perished of starvation and exposure, and the population of the capital was reduced to about 13,000, while whole families became extinct. Millions of acres of land at the dose of the war reverted to the Government, no one being left to claim them. It was 400,000 acres of this land that the Paraguayan Government was going to give a free grant of as soon as 4,000 people had been settled upon it by the New Australia Settlement Association that started in 1893. This movement by Australians caused a good deal of attention at the time. It ended in failure, mainly because of bad management and lack of business sense. Some remained and settled in the country, and probably some of their descendants are taking part in this war with Bolivia, conscription being the law in Paraguay, and since the wars of Lopez 11. able-bodied men being not very plentiful in the country. The close of the wars of Lopez If. left the country in a terrible state, from which it has not vet fully recovered. It must be a very serious matter for Paraguay now, if she is really losing all the men the papers, say she is, in this war in the Gran Chaco. SIMPLE CUSTOMS. I found the Paraguayan people a kindly and hospitable folk, ready to welcome and help newcomers who wished to settle in the country. Of course, the new arrival finds new customs, new ways of doing things. In the towns one finds business in full swing at 5 o’clock in the morning. The market place is crowded, and folks arc getting their day’s supplies. The business done, it is home for breakfast. Then from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. falls siesta, and the town is practically dead. No one goes about in the midday heat but “ mad dogs and Englishmen,” for we took no notice of this custom at the beginning. 1 noticed the butchers of Paraguay did not cut hones. The meat is sold without the bones. These are first taken out and the meat arranged on the benches in various sized lots, so much for the lot. I did not sec any weighing. It seemed to me like guesswork, but appeared to satisfy the customers. Meat was cheap. The best bullocks sold for 30s. The price seemed to be fixed by the Liebig works, who bought the cattle in large numbers for their meat extract works. I noticed outside their works along the banks of the river immense heaps of bones. 1 have been told these are gone now, having been used up in the making of bonedust.

Land was very cheap in Paraguay, and large blocks about twelve miles from the railways could be bought for sixpence an acre. It was sold by the league, 640 acres. The railways deserve special mention. I will describe a trip 1 once made from Villa Rica to Asuncion, about 150 miles. The country is practically level. No coal is mined in Paraguay, so wood is used on the engines, and stacks arc placed at intervals along the line for the use of the engines. The engine starts the journey with a great shower of sparks, and 1 once helped save a truck load" of goods that had got alight from the engine sparks. That did not seem to be treated as anything unusual. The carriages were open ones, with seals along the side, i recall my first, trip. Men filled the seals. I looked about me, and noticed every man had a long knife and a revolver in his belt.

Erom the display of weapons I took them to be a bloodthirsty lot. But no. It was just the custom to go armed, and the big knife was used more for peeling oranges than anything else. One often saw a soldier in the streets of Asuncion peeling oranges with his sword. We had got some distance along the line, which was not fenced and had grass growing everywhere. No maintenance gangs seemed to be employed on the lines. Looking along the tracks one could notice the two lines of rails and note how the wheels had nipped off the grass as the train travelled along. Presently the train went so slowly that several men got off as it went along, picked some oranges that were growing near the lines, and easily caught it up again. Once I caught the sight of a Union Jack flying at a homestead of one of the 120 British men settled in the country. The carriage I was in was slowly emptying itself until we reached a station where a longer stop than usual was made. I was reading a book, and had not interested myself in these stops, for they were numerous. At last I began to take notice. I was alone in the carriage, and found some carriages had been cut oft the end of the train; the train had gone on, and I was left. 1 discovered that some carriages are usually discarded so, but notice is given to the passenger to get into the carriage going on. I did not hear or misunderstood. There appear to be Scots everywhere. I came across a man from Aberdeen. He took me in hand, and told me no other train came along for Asuncion until the same time to-morrow. 'There was only one tram each way per day. However, there was plenty to see. My new friend showed me a big reserve or training camp which Lopez If. had established during the war. War material and heavy castings from the cannon foundry had been left stuck in the mud, too heavy for the Allies to remove. 1 spent that night in a room in the tower of the station building. This was one of the buildings by Lopez 11., far too big and costly for the place. I slept in a swung hammock, and was glad when morning came, for I was short of bedding. and the nights can he very cold in Paraguay. 1 went to Asuncion by the train next day. The rail fare was 2J peso —Is 8d in our money —for the 150 miles froni Villa Rica. One dqes not notice the low value of this money until one wants to buy something that comes from outside the country, because in Paraguay it buys just as much as ever it did. The peon gets his 2 pesos a day for his work, and he can buy all he needs with that. If lie wants wiiio lie can buy four bottles with his 2 pesos ; a horse he can get for 20 to 30 pesos. Ycrba raatti, the national drink—Paraguay tea —lie can buy about 31b of with 1 peso; oranges he can get for the picking. I saw" them sold a thousand for 1 peso. The coat of living is low, and people take things easily. QUAINT EXPERIENCES. I have been getting away from my trip to the capital. 1 had not been in Asuncion long, when walking down a street I saw a man —naked —bolt out of a doorway and off for his life down the street with a policeman after him. I watched. The policeman got him and took him off to the lock-up. 1 made inquiries, and found that this man was a worker in a bakehouse, and they work there quite naked. His employer was away for the day. The employer’s son was in his father’s absence showing the man a revolver, and by mishap it went off whilst in the man’s hand. It is an offence to let off any firearm in Asuncion. A policeman passing at the time heard the report and went in to see the cause. The workman saw the policeman coming in one door, and he bolted out of the other, not waiting to dress. 1 heard he got off lightly. A few days before I left Paraguay a man came to my house one evening and explained that the matter he wanted to see me about was very private. I satisfied him that it was all right. Ho then produced from under his poncho a beautifully cased silvermounted knife which he wanted to sell to me. I was doubtful at first from all Ids secrecy about buying the knife. He offered it'at a price 1 knew was not its value. 1 bought it and trebled my money on it. 1 found afterwards that the knife belonged to. the man, but since the passing of a new law it was illegal for him to have it. The blade was 19in long. The police carry a knife 18in long, and the law says they must have at least lin the advantage in the length of the knife blade. Thus 17in is the limit for the civilian. The next night another man came with another 19in knife, but not such a good one as the first. I purchased that also, and sold it at a profit. I did not consider it at the time, but probably I should have got myself into trouble with the police for buying the knives had I remained there.

This was at Villa Rica, the second largest town in Paraguay. 1 remember the roads were bad. The soil was of a very sandy nature, and the heavy rains had piled up the sand in some places and made deep hollows in others, so that it was not safe to go about the unlighted streets at night. I knew the body in control of the town’s affairs got a very good revenue, for all the shopkeepers and tradespeople had 1 to pay a monthly license to carry on their business. One day I asked one of the councillors why they did not repair the roads, lie shrugged his shoulders and said: “ You are not going to stop hero long, are you?” I said “No.” “ Well,” he said, “ these roads do our people, and we have been here 300 years. Surely they will do you who are here for a short time only.” Still 1 could not see what they did with the revenue they got. I found out afterwards that about every' three months the council gives a grand feast and entertainment to their joint and several supporters, and the money' goes so, and no' complaints. I never heard of any. suicide in Paraguay over financial worries.

Bolivia is interesting in that a part of tliis country was the original home of the Incas’ people before they started to build up and consolidate the Empire ruled over by the later emperors. Also Bolivia appears to have been the homeland. or at least part of it, of that unknown and very mysterious people who in the dim and distant past built that great city on the shores of Lake Titicaca, remains of which are to be found there to-day. We know a great people built a great city there and then disappeared. Where they came from and where thev went to are alike a riddle. Who can solve it? Why build a great citv over 12,000 ft up in the mountains, 3,000 ft higher than foodstuffs can be grown and then disappear from the face of the earth? La Pas. the capital of Bolivia, is largely built of material from this ancient deserted city 12,000tt up the Ancles.