POPE’S BLESSING

Southland Times, Issue 25312, 15 June 1935, Page 7

POPE’S BLESSING

END OF GRAN CHACO WAR. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Rome, June 13. His Holiness the Pope has sent a message to the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay expressing relief at the cessation of hostilities and giving his blessing. The war between Bolivia and Paraguay was fought to decide possession of the subequatorial wilderness of the Gran Chaco reputed to contain oil which has been disputed between Bolivia and Paraguay for more than fifty years. Bolivia wants the district for a port on the Paraguay River. Bolivia having no sea coast. The war began unofficially in June, 1932, 20,000 casualties having occurred before Paraguay formally declared war on May 10, 1933. Since then the fighting has been of serious proportions. Though it has lacked some of the horrors of European warfare, the jungle has added others, especially for the Bolivian troops who are healthy only in their native highlands. Bolivia contends she has always maintained that her territorial rights extend to the Paraguay river, a claim which Paraguay denied following the denial with peaceful penetration until in 1928 when the last big dispute arose. Bolivia asserted that Paraguay had occupied the whole of me Chaco Frontier. Incidents while boundaries were in dispute led to Bolivia breaking off diplomatic relations in ' December, 1928. These were not fully resumed until May, 1930, when a judicial body, chosen by the Pan-American Union, took up the dispute. Its efforts proved abortive. Since the war began the League of Nations has taken proceedings in three separate forms, resulting in three separate failures and entailing the resignation of Paraguay from the League. Other South American States, which have resisted League interference on a South American Monroe Doctrine principle, then ■interested' themselves in procuring a settlement.