The Timaru Herald TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1934. THE GRAN CHACO DISPUTE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19961, 20 November 1934, Page 6

The Timaru Herald TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1934. THE GRAN CHACO DISPUTE

Reports and counter-reports relating to the military struggle proceeding in the Gran Chaco between Bolivia and Paraguay, ought to draw the attention of the civilised world to the futility of that protracted struggle. It will be remembered that some months ago the League of Nations appointed a Committee of Conciliation to grapple with the problems that so far have not been settled by protracted recourse to arms. 11 is therefore interesting to mention, in view of the suggestions that have been put forward that the United States ought to co-operate with Britain in tackling the big issues at stake in the East, that the activities of the Committee of Conciliation have been checkmated by the decision of the United States to decline the invitation to join the Committee. Bolivia and Paraguay on their part, however, have not displayed any hostility to the efforts of the League Committee to straighten out tlie tangle, which lias cost so many lives without yieldingtangible results. Something like five weeks ago, Paraguay demanded immediate cessation of hostilities in the Chaco War, in a message to the Conciliation Committee of the League of Nations, and a special non-aggres-sion pact with “international guarantees.” Paraguay also informed the Committee that it was disposed to proceed towards conciliation with the idea of reaching a direct accord with Bolivia. The message from Paraguay said :

“The Government of Paraguay is disposed to accredit a plenipotentiary to the League of Nation’s Commission to negotiate the immediate cessation of hostilities and a regime of security for the maintenance of peace. "It considers as adequate means for security: Demobilisation, the reduction of effectives, the limitation of the purchase of war material, a system of police from each country in the zone of occupation of this country, and a special pact of nonaggression with international guarantees. “The Government accepts, when peace will be reestablished in the above-mentioned manner, a procedure of conciliation with a goal of arrival at a direct accord on divergent points and eventually at a decision by arbitration.”

Although no Paraguayan delegate attended at Geneva, an official message from Asuncion announced readiness to send a representative under certain conditions. The Bolivian delegate at Geneva, significantly enough, placed himself at the disposal of the committee. The biggest shock experienced by the Committee came from the United States. Official messages from Washington indicated that United States would not join the committee. Doubtless the American Government seized the opportunity to shelter behind its official policy of aloofness from the League. The attitude of the United States opened the gates for the South American members of the League of Nations to give Geneva a slap in the face. Uruguay caused a surprise by suddenly appearing as a defender of the Monroe Doctrine, asking the League of Nations to keep its hands off the Gran Chaco, and to allow the American nations to settle their disputes. The Monroe doctrine, it is interesting to mention, enunciated by President Monroe in 1S2:?, was a declaration that the United States would not tolerate the interference of European Powers in the affairs of the American continents, while the policy of the United States would provide for that country holding aloof from Europe. The most powerful pull that is being exerted is not political, but commercial. Officially the United States strongly supports an embargo being placed on the supply of arms to the belligerents in the ghastly struggle now being waged in the Gran Chaco. Powerful trading and quasi-political organisations are waging the most intensive campaign in the hope of defeating the arms embargo. The following telegram submitted to the Senate Arms Inquiry speaks for itself:

“I had a telegram sent by Colonel Taylor, who Is head of the American Legion requesting that every ounce of pressure be brought to bear to stop any such foolish action and stating that the only possible result of an arms embargo would be to throw all this business to European manufacturers at the expense of American industry. No explanation has yet been given of the American refusal to co-operate with the Concoliation Committee. The attitude of Britain and France has left the impression that they are determined to apply every provision of the Covenant of the League of Nations to bring about peace, if the Latin Americans fail in their efforts. The exhausting fight of Bolivia and Paraguay has drawn attention to the duty of nations of declining to supply arms to belligerents. Well-informed authorities suggest that the experiment deserves the most careful attention. But already it is seen, even by those who wholeheartedly accept the practice of withholding arms, that the doctrine is in opposition to one which has been assiduously propagated—namely, the doctrine of sanctions, which is one of the weapons in the hands of the League of Nations, indeed Bolivia has gone so far as to argue that the League has behaved illegally in associating itself with

embargoes. Sanctions, on the other hand presuppose the guilt of one party and the innocence of the other. There must be discrimination. The embargo must be applied only to the aggressor. The country which is held to be the victim must, on the contrary, be assisted. Logically this means under the application of sanctions, that if arms are withheld from one side in a dispute, they must be supplied to the other. In a perfectly reasonable world, governed by an omnisient organisation, in which there could be no difference of opinion, this doctrine of sanctions to be applied to the convicted evildoer alone could hardly be disputed. But it is surely clear that it is not only different from the doctrine of embargo which has recently been approved, but is totally at variance with it.

THE WORK AT WAITAKI. It was a happy inspiration that prompted the Mayor of Waimate and the chairman of the Waimate County Council, to arrange a gathering of representatives of the public life of South Canterbury and North Otago, to do honour to the Minister of Public AVorks and the representatives of the hydro electric division of the Public Works Department associated with the construction and completion of the gigantic engineering undertaking of harnessing the AVaitaki. The pleasant social function held in AVaimate last evening afforded the spokesmen of the district an opportunity to pay well deserved tributes to the immensely important parts played by the Alinisterial head of the Public Works and his officers. The speeches of congratulation and commendation touched a high level, while the replies of the guests of the evening were notable for modesty and sincerity. In the course of his reply, Air Kissel remarked that the' art of civil engineering as defined in the charter of the Institute was the controlling of the forces of nature to the service of man, and in the harnessing of the AVaitaki, this fundamental definition of that branch of engineering had materialised. Alanifestly Waitaki stands to-day a monument to the co-operation of brains and muscle which made it possible to overcome the greatest difficulties and finally curb a turbulent river, and harness the elemental forces of Nature, as represented in the tens of thousands horsepower of energy, to the service of man. One note predominated the speeches of the guests of the evening; and that note expressed the obvious desire to give credit where credit is due. The Alinister of Public AVorks, on his part, as Alinisterial head of the Department, has played an important part, not only in inspiring confidence in the great work, but in prevailing upon his colleagues in the Cabinet to provide additional funds for the completion of the undertaking. The splendidly co-ordin-ated work of the “thinkers” and “doers,” as the chairman of last night’s function described the two branches of the hydro-electric division of the Public Works Department, came in for the highest praise from the representative speakers who addressed them last night. The completed work represents a gigantic effort on the part of man to tame a mighty river; and the great Waitaki dam stands to-day as a monument to man’s triumph over the forces of Nature, and the fullest praise must be given the men who designed the great work and the men who translated the vision into reality. But more remains to be done. The Government, the Alinister, the departmental officers, in co-operation with the hosts of minor officers, assisted by thousands of workers have by their co-ordinated talent and labours brought a mighty river under control to do the service of man. At the moment, the great hydro-electric under-, taking has a capacity to generate hydro-electric energy far in excess of present demands. The great river is ready to turn the wheels of new industries and carry the burdens of the farm and the house, and the success of the AVaitaki undertaking has yet to be brought to fruition. The State through its Alinister and the Public Works engineers, has harnessed, at considerable expense, the forces of Nature represented in the river, but the complete success of the scheme will not be achieved until town and country avail themselves of the large increased supplies of hydro-electric energy now made available to the whole of South Canterbury and North Otago.