The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-19
The Military Problem ON the LIN Plata.

The Military Problem ON the In Plata.
The great war of the allies in South America,
having for its direct object the overthrow OF
Paraguay, still continues. Of the Uruguay con-
tingent of two thousand not a man remains.
kept in the field by the Argentine republic
have lately been absent, and at San Luis have
just given the finishing blow to one of those in
ternal gaucho revolutions which are periodically
waged against the urban power of The republic.
The Brazilans, numbering thirty-twO thousand,
are patiently awaiting the return of the Argen-
tine troops and the attack of a column of eight
thousand men, under OsoriO who are slowly
working their way across the almost impossible
wlds from Rio Janeiro to the eastern Paraguay
boundary. 1t is evident that the allies are
gathering their forces for q final blow, and we
believe if Paraguay stands firm under the as
sault she has nothing more to fear.
AT the opening of the contest General Mitre
declared it would be "paseo n,ilitor," and
that it would take but three months TO reach
Asuncon. The Brazilians were no less sanguine.
The expression Of these ideas indicated a great
lack of military talent on the part of the allied
generals; for they were to assail a country
which occupies an almost impregnable position
relative to the nations around it. East, west
and south are streams that will float frigate,
while the northern boundary is vast and i'm
penetrable jungle, frequently overlooked by the
freshets of the Paraguay and Parana rivers.
The bordering territory, both east and west, is
virgin wild, while the southern Paraguay
margin, selected by the allies as the vulnerable
point, is swamp whose deadly malaria keeps
their hospitals filed with men who rarely re-
join their regiments.
The internal element Is possessed by Paraguay
for defence were scarcely inferior to the external
ones which nature has conferred upon her. Up
to 1910 the foreign and native element had
been mingling until the result was compact
and homogeneous people, and the war which
the desperadoes from the Rio Grande province
of Brazil had waged against them had given
them desperate schooling and conferred
warlike nature upon the present generation.
Francia ruled from 1913 to 1910, and was fol-
lowed by a still ruder despot Carlos Antonio
Lopez, who for score of years fastened
firmly the despotism in which Francia had
trained the people. At the death of Lopez
his son, the present ruler, came into power.
He found ready at hand compact nationality
which had never known any but the channels
which half century of despotism had carved
out for it. Foreseeing the present struggle, he
modified the nation, built workshops, foun-
dries, powder mills, railroads, Notifications,
brought the skilled workmen and science Of
Europe to his aid, and made the vast military
camp Of Paraguay a warllks unit. The coun-
try itself is filed with almost sufficient natural
productions to support life where the people
are so simple in their wants and habits. Thus
the Par,guayan camp Of seventy thousand
square miles, containing five hundred thousand
inhabitants, was formidable adversary to
attack, especially If we consider that there is
but one vulnerable point in its geographical po-
stion-a point which, up to this time, the allies
have failed to approach.
Agains. all this the allies could bring no
proportionate strength. The overgrown jungle
called Brazil, making war on water line Of
over two thousand miles in length, has been
forced to strain its young nerves almost to the
breaking. The Argentine republic was already
| exhausted in her civil contests, and Uruguay
had been SO depopulated in her wars that her
first effort 10 maintain small force In the field
was also her last Both the Argentine republic
and Uruguay also had to wage war at an
immense distance from their base-nearly
twelve hundred miles.
The financial condition of the combatan "a
scarcely varied from the condition of the other
elements Of the problem. Paraguay, at the out
break Of the war, had a general revenue OF
$3,750000; yerba monopoly, $3,OOO,OO0 p;
tithes and land rents, sl,950000; making q
total revenue Of $s,70O,000. The floating debt
OF paper currency was s2,0OO,oO0 and Of ex.
tcrnal debts she had none. Her accumulated
wealth was immense for so small State, and
Immediately available for war purposes.
On the part of the Argentine Confederation
Buenos Ayres had to furnish nearly all the
cash that came from the republic, however little
in amount Buenos Ayres had before the war
home and foreign debt Of about 100000,
while her revenues, balanced By her expendi-
lures, were about $7,O00,O00 AZ the outbreak
Of the contest the currency OF the Bank Of
Bucnos Avres which had originally been issued