TERRIBLE WARFARE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 2 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE WARFARE

TANKS AND POISON GAS IN THE JUNGLE OVER 40,0a0 LIVES LOST' ■ $ It was lately expected that in a few weeks peace would be , signed between Bolivia and Paraguay, states which had been ab war for five years. Thus ends the most ruthless conflictexcepting the Great War—in living memory. The Sunday Express says: The most terrible weapons known to science have been used, and the percentage of casualties, in proportion to ' population was as heavy as that of the fighting from 1914 to 1913. More than 40,000 men have died, and double that number have been wounded, out cf a population of two millions. The combined armies totalled little more than 100,000. The battles produced almost unbelievable heroism, adventure, terror and romance. Strange, mysterious figures emerged—the " Black Knight of the Air," " Smith's Light Horse," "The Axeman of Death." Hostilities began, unofficially, in 1928. They started over a frontier—and the possession of a district called the Gran Chaco, partly jungle and partly a mine of prosperity in oil, cattle and agriculture. Three thousand square miles of territory were involved. " Incidents " occurred. A gun went off. A man died. Peace negotiations were attempted—and dragged on for four years. Then they collapsed. On May 15, 1932, Bolivia attacked a Paraguayan fort. The smouldering embers were fanned, and war flamed up. It was a war in the jungle, a war of desperate raids. Poison gas wreathed its way round the boles of giant trees. Vegetation withered. Sacrifices by Women Then the fronts spread. The Paraguayans were pushed back after a few days. They lacked equipment. The news reached Asuncion, Paraguay's capital. Frenziedly the women of the qitv gave their jewels, their gold, ticir wedding rings to the Government. They were melted down, sold. Equipment was bought. Then tanks rumbled their way over the new front. Machine-gun outposts were found every few yards on both sides. Paraguay was given an order: " Capture equipment." Hundreds of men died in battles ropnd guns, gas plant, tanks. Every scrap of war material was taken off the Bolivian dead. The' Bolivian Commander-in-Chief was a German, General Kundt, a Prussian Junker. He trained his troops on all the set lines of German militarism. " Smith's Light Horse " appeared in June, 1932. It was a cavalry regimeut, led by a Colonel Smith, a Paraguayan of British parentage. It was formed of Englishmen and the sons-of Britons in Paraguay. It remained in the front Ime without a single break for leave. v It made daring raid after daring raid, capturing gun positions and forts. The Light iHorse charged with " Hurrah!." as their battle-cry. "Black Knight's" Exploits The. " Black Knight " was-spoken of. His black, single-seater fighting machine hieralded the Bolivian air forces. He brought down more than twenty Paraguayan machines. But he would never fire if an opponent's guns were jammed or his ammunition had run out. He waved his hand and flew off. No one knew who he was. He gave an obviously false name. He spoke little, and then only essentials. He'had lost one eye. Rumour said that he wrs. an ex-American Air Force officer. One day he took off to patrol the Paraguayan lines. He was .never seen again. The burned out wreckage of his machine was found in the jungle. When the Bolivians were pushed back into the jungle the " Axemen ofDeath " were formed—a brigade of Paraguayan forest workers armed with machetes—hacking knives. So deadly were they in battle that their nickname was earned in a few days. They tracked Bolivian troops in the green fastnesses. I hen, when the men were sleeping, only sentries on guard, they attacked. The bloodshed was terrible. .British Soldier With Bolivians William Lockhart was engaged to aBolivian girl. He was a lieutenant in the tank corps, the only British exservice man in th© Bolivian forces. He was driving a tank, leading an attack against the Paraguayans. The ventilation in the tank failed. He had to get out. He was shot at once. The Bolivians rallied to recover his body. Fighting went on for four hours. At last the body was won. He was buried with full ' military honours. The end came recently. Thirteen thousand Bolivian troops, making a last stand in their reserve lines, threw down their arms and surrendered. Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, rejoices. La Paz, capital of Bolivia, . mourns. Tho peace treaty will be drawn up by an international tribunal —1( avoid future recriminations.