HOSTILE NEIGHBOURS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 December 1928, Page 11

HOSTILE NEIGHBOURS

(Specially Written fox the “Star.”)

•WARS and rumours of wars among the States of South America are mot generally regarded as very serious, and very often, when hostilities do occur, the loss of life is not very heavy. Border affairs such as now inflaming •the passions of Bolivia aind Paraguay were at one time comparatively frequent, but Uncle Sam has usually been successful in keeping the peace. But the 'history of some of these States rej cord instances of long and disastrous I war, Bolivia and Paraguay being no | exceptions. Both present somewhat similar features and in those far-away little known republics national drama and tragedy, as intense as those of better known States, have been, recorded by history. BOLIVIA'S STORY. Bolivia is an inland State occupying the most elevated and massive region of the Andes, whose bleak punas or tablelands contain some of the most highly inhabited land in the world. It extends into the tropical forests of the Amazon basin and the lowlands of the Plate river system. The country presents a wide and diversified range of topography, climate and natural resources. It is a land of more: or less Europeanised culture, rich in minerals and the third largest.,state in South America. The whites comprise about ten per cent, of the population and the Indians about half.

Bolivia's history falls into three periods, the empire of the Incas, Spanish colonial regime, and finally as a republic. Under the Incas what is now Bolivia was but a province, and the empire flourished from about the middle of the 11th century to 1533. Then t he country was conquered: by the Spaniards under Pizarro. This was the beginning of the period ofi Spanish domination which lasted to 1824, at which time the republic was inaugurated. The Incas were not the aborigines, for there are traces of an earlier race 1 and civilisation, of which little is' known.

The appearance of Europeans, in the persons of Spanish soldiers and settlors, Opened a period of datrk oppression for the native races. The white men's greed and avarice led them to treat the conquered people very 'harshly. They were fored to work in, the mines and plantations, were subjected to poverty and 'disease. Life was held very cheap in those days and the slaves were looked upon as mere chattels, not human beings. Away back in Spain, humanitarian, (for the time) legislation was provided'specifying the treatment to be meted out to the Indians, but over in the new colonies the laws were disregarded and the colonists became a law unto themselves. Spain was far away and communication slow, while nearer to them was untold wealth waiting to be exploited. A last effort for freedom was made by the Indians in 1780, when an insurrection occurred under Tupac Amatru, the last of the Incas. It was crushed, and the leader executed.

BOLIVIA AND PARAGUAY

again in 1862, this time over the guano 1 question, and again a decade later ever possession of nitrate fields. This dispute developed into a.iang.aind bloody struggle involving Bolivia, Peru and Chile, ending in 1883 with, the defeat of Bolivia and Peru. The Victorious Chilians deprived the defeated states of valuable territories, Bolivia losing her access to the sea, a loss which con* tinues to be a sore point with patriotic Bolivians even now.

Despite all these disastrous events, the republic has continued to grow politically and economically. As mentioned before, it has rich mineral deposits, its tin mines providing the larger part of the world's supplies. It also produces gold, silver and copper. At Potosi there are silver mines which have been worked since the time of the Incas.

PARAGUAY—A LAND OF TRAGEDY

Paraguay is also on inland republic slightly less in area than 300,000 square miles. Its neighbours are Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. The climate varies from tropical to sub-tropical and a large portion of the country is coveted with Valuable forests. TheTe aTe also vast plains of grassland' admirably suited for raising cattle, which is now becoming a flourishing industry. A region which is now not yet fully exploded and which is begining to be settled, is known a® el Gran Chaco, comprising swamps and savanna. The population is about one and a> quarter millions, of which a large proportion is comprised of Indians. Although far from the sea; Paraguay has splendid access by the rivers Paraguay and la Plata.

Paraguay's history, so far as the Western faces are concerned, goes back to 1515, when a visit was paid by Juan, do Sotis. A decade later Sebastian Cabot sailed up the la Plata. The town of Asureion (now the capital) was founded in 1535. * The Spanish soda obtained possession and early missionary work was done, as in other South American States, by Jesuits and Franciscans. In this connection it is noteworthy to recall that one Franciscan, Solaro, who was later canonised as the Apostle of Paraguay, made a momentous journey from Peru, through the Chaco to Paraguay, preaching to the Indians in their own language and baptising thousands. The Jesuits were subsequently officially recognised. They built missions, aided in the development work, such little as was then lone, and prospered for more than a century. Political changes finally led to their expulsion in 1767. Paraguay became independent in 1811, but a series of more or less bloodthirsty dictatorships followed. ' That of de Francia lasted froto 1811 to 1840, but his despotic mantle fell on Antonio Lopez, who was in control till 1862. Ho was succeeded by his son, who Was particularly aggressive and careless of the rights of the neighbouring states. This attitude soon involved him in. serious trouble with Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. These three nations formed an alliance against the dictator and l in 1864 a terrible war ensued;, one of the most bloodthirsty and prolonged in the 5 history of the South American continent. It lasted for nearly six years and finally Lopez was defeated and killed, but not before he had brought his country to a most desperate plight. The allies quickly carried the war to. Paraguay’s territory. Lopez, seeing that he was certain to be crushed, conscripted eVery male down to the ages of 14 and even 12. Womenwer e even pressed into the fight, being - used in the commissariat service and they suffered untold hardships. As he retreated in desperation Lopez had every farmstead destroyed so that the invaders- anight find, nothing but a wilderness. He did his' work so effectively that the Country was practically ruined for the time being (ini fact, it is still feeling the effects, of those terrible days), while over half the 'population,, had been lost, there remaining, at the end of the war, only about 28,500 .males over the age of 15,

Paraguay -escaped annexation, although a Brazilian army remained in possession for six years. The ’unfortunate country -had accumulated av heavy burden of sorrow and debts and went insolvent in 1874. Since -then, however, its progress has been steady. There have -been minor revolutions, and also at least ono -dispute with. Bolivia over the frontier. The great natural resources of the country are being exploited and developed and a brighter future seems to be ahead of this much distressed republic.—A.B.

BEGINNING- OF INDEPENDENCE

The closing decades of the eighteenth ana the -beginning of the nineteenth centuries were restless times in t-he olid world; the spirit of liberty was flaming high and the advocates for the cause of freedom were able to point to the successful results of the people in the North American colonies and in France. The germ Of unrest slowly, pervaded the. southern continent find, the flight in Bolivia was about to. begin. From 1809 to. 1825 the country was involved in an almost continuous struggle against the Royalists, and there Were, alternate victories and defeats, failures and barbarities. Bolivia, at the beginning of t-he struggle, formed- part of Tipper Peru; and the Patriots otf Buenos Ayres after liberating themselves from the Spanish yoke turned their attention to. what is now -known as Bolivia:. After a long struggle the forces of Bolivar, the famous liberator, routed the Spanish, and. his lieutenant, Sucre, also obtained a crushing victory. Finally in 1525 the territory became an indepen& : ent state ,audj wa<s named after the naI tional hero-, who’ did so much to secure its freedom.

Independence did not bring peace and security, but rather a series of desperate struggles, both internal and external. The original boundaries of -the infant republic were from- the Pacific to the Andes' -and -then into the unknown South American forests. In 1835 there were conflicts with Peru and Chile, with alternating periods of peace and progress. Trouble arose- with <ihile