THREAT OF WAR

Northern Advocate, 4 August 1932, Page 5

THREAT OF WAR

BOLIVIAN MOBILISATION DISPUTE WITH PARAGUAY PROTEST BY UNITED STATES. LEAGUE INTERVENTION SOUGHT.

: Dulled Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) 1 (Received 11 a.m.) BOLIVIA, August •'!. The Ministry of War on Wednesday [ ordered the mobilisation of all classes . of youths between 22 ami 29 in anticipation of Avar 'with Paraguay in the Chaco region. A message from Asuncion, Paraguay, states that hundreds of excited Paraguayan women, society belles, debutantes and broad-shouldered farm wives, besciged the Government on Wednesday demanding the right to go to Avar. They came by the dozens, (hanging on trucks and waggons, and (crowding out trains, and rushed for

the stadium, where recruiting activities looking toward war with Bolivia are centred. The women demanded active service on the battlefront. The Government, however, regarded this as impossible in the deep .Chaco wilderness, where even the mildest non-combatant service is considered too severe for women. The officials tried to suggest service in civilian-.capacities at home "by filling the positions vacated by men, but the women scoffed at this idea. ’’lf'Paraguay goes to war, they said, their place should be in Chaco, not at home. In a proclamation; President Guggiari called upon the army to prepare to achieve deeds of prowess. - Five hundred Paraguayan soldiers, the first to leave Asuncion, for the front to engage in an undeclared war against Bolivia, started up the river on Wednesday towards Chaco. There was considerable confusion, and nearly a disaster at the start, so eager "wore

the men to join np, and nearly 800 volunteers stormed the vessel, which nearly capsized. They were ejected. During the night 1200 men reached Hie capital in answer to the mobilisation order. Most of them were college students and schoolboys. Captain Almonacid, the Argentine flyer who served with the. French during the war, arrived from Buenos Aires to train the Paraguayan, ah corps.

BOLIVIA ADDRESSES LEAGUE. MEDIATION WELCOMED, (Received 11.30 Tun.) LA PAZ, August 3. The Bolivian Foreign Office informed the League of Nations on Wednesday that Bolivia does not decline pacific moans of a solution- of the controversy with Paraguay over the Oran Chaco territory. Responding to Ihe League communication asking that war be averted, the Government recited its version of the conflict, concluding that these facts placed Paraguay outside the law and obliged her to defend herself energetically. A Washington message . says that Bolivia and Paraguay have been requested to end the hostilities, and to submit to neutral proposals to avoid war, in n joint note signed on Wednesday by representatives of the United States - and IS other American republics.

I ARGENTINE NEUTRALITY. FORCE .SENT .TO "BORDER. (Received 11 a.m.) TUCUMAN (Argentine), August 3, Twenty battalions of Argentine infantry, and one battalion of engineers, were ordered on Wednesday to proceed to the Bolivian frontier to maintain Argentine neutrality in the Eolivian-Paraguayah dispute.

LEAGUE COUNCIL APPEAL. SUPPORT OF POWERS SOUGHT. AMERICA INFORMED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, August 3. It was announced by the Foreign Office this evening that the Actiug-Secrc-tary-Gcncrnl of the League of Nations" has suggested that His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the French, German, Italian and Spanish Governments should 'support, through , their-diplomatic channels, the appeal issued on August" 1. by the President of the League Council to the Governments of Bolivia ami Paraguay.

The British representatives at Lapnr, and Asuncion have been instructed to inform the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay that the Government in the United Kingdom is anxious to give all possible support to the appeal of the President of the Council, and to the moderating action of the friendly nations of the Assembly.

The Government in the United Kingdom ‘ has informed the United States Government of the above action.