Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-20
South American Republics
> Must Attract Attention.
EASYTOSTART TROUBLE
PROGRESS OF PRESENT REVoLU-
TON IN PARAGUAY.
An Isolated Nation Of Many Wars
Its History, Topography, aeog-
raphy and Resources.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening star
In South America the smaller countries
and sometimes even the larger ones, have
only one means of attracting attention from
the rest OF the world. This is by means OF
revolutions All that they do In the way
of peaceful progress passes unnoticed, out
whenever they have an election row In the
form of an insurrection or revolution they
are sure to get notice.
Paraguay is the latest country to come
within this class One party there wanted
the president to resign before the end OF
his term He wouldn't do II. Then the
opposition got some men and arms on board
a boat and sent them up the rivers Platte
and Parana as a means of argument. The
boat had passed beyond the Argentine ter
ritory before its mission was known, ana
the Argentine authorities had no chance
of OBTAINING 1t. The revolutionists are
under the command Of Gen. Ferreira MOST
of the members of the expedition nave Deeh
living in BuenOs Ayres and Montevioeo-
They were Paraguayans not exactly In
exile. vet not feeling comfortable under
the government In their own country:
If the opposition to the present aomln,s
tration Is as strong as reported by the IN
surgents. and II the people at Asunci0n
and the other towns are really In sympathy
with them. they will win In spite OF the
fact that martial law has been proclaimed
by the government and the country placed
in state OF siege. 1t is not exactly a
popular election. but the condition Is one
in which the majority sentiment VIII pre-
vail. II the administration actually has
the support Of the majority OF Paraguay
ans It will be able to repulse the insurgent
forces and 60 forward without the compro-
mise which Is demanded In the cal! tor tHe
resignation of the president.
Some internal turmoil has been shown
during the last four or hve montns' anu
the Paraguayan congress was repoIteu ~
nc 10 TN
NAV have an advantage yet with martial
law proclaimed the congress Will not pc
much of a factor at this stage OF the
struggle.
Room for Americans.
Since Paraguay has succeeded IN peiis
noticed and Is certain to continue 10 at
tract attention for a time 1t may be wen
to state that the policy which has prevailed
during the last two or three years Is not
likely to be changed whichever faction ui-
timately triumphs. This policy has been
to seek wider intercourse with the OUTSIDE
world and to secure foreign aid In develop
ing the agricultural resources of the coun-
try and in enlarging the commerce. Inc
United States consul at Asuncion Tor
year past has been making reports on the
opportunities for American goods. One of
his recent reports cited the demand for
barb wire.
feature OF the progressive policy which
months ago of diplomatic missions in Eu-
rope and the United States. Previously
Paraguay had contented herself with
consul general In Washington and two or
three consuls in the commercial cities The
trade chances are worth attention.
All these things may be said and an oc-
casional cable dispatch may be read tell
ing Of the progress Of the revolution and
still few people in the United States will
have any idea of where Paraguay Is, ex-
cept that It is somewhere I'm South Amer
lea. Geographically 1t Is the most Isolated
of the South American countries, for 1t Is
well In the interior yet 1t is quite access
IDLE through the great rivers which empty
into the Atlantic. Good steamers run from
Montevideo and Buenos Ayres up the
Platte. the Parana and the Paraguay to
Asuncion, taking six or seven days for the
voyage.
Paraguay and Illinois
Paraguay in its geographical situation
has oeen compared to the state OF Illinois,
for the Paraguay and the Parana rivers
come together at the southern apex much
as the Ohio and the Mississippi join. The
comparison made by an Illinois man
who was consul at Asuncion In size how
ever, Paraguay Is several times as large as
Illinois. and it has more big rivers than the
prairie state. There is some similarity in
the topography.
Paraguay has preserved its individuality
more strongly than that of any other
South American state The native stock
is Guarani Indian. and the Guarani In
dams We're almost as strong as the Arau-
Canlans In Chile. The difference was that
they accepted the Spanish over-lordsnip
While the Araucanians fought It for three
hundred years But under the Spanish in.
huence the Guaranis showed many Of the
stoical traits of the Araucanians. II ~
Were fatalists
The Jesuits who established a mission at
Asuncion in 1896 secured the veneer of
Z nd fn ,rtn, . hn
Guaranis were a peaceful agricultural peo-
pie. 1t was really the rule of the jesuit
theocracy with little of the interference
which marked Spanish colonial rule in other
parts of South America. The Guarani Ian
guage was taught and no effort made to en-
force the Spanish tongue. The Jesuits were
expelled by the Spanish government In
1861, and then came relapse in the condi-
ton of the people. with occasional recov-
cries and fair degree of peaceful pur-
suits.
When the South American countries were
revolving from Spain Paraguay was able TO
set up its Independent government without
much of a fight The country was too iso-
lated TO be held by force. Until recent
years the whole aspiration Of the people
was for isolation This was one cause that
made the dictatorship OF DR.. Francia posi-
BILE. He elected life d ctator in 1916,
and maintained his despotsm which was
a form of benevolent and bloody terrorism,
until 1910. His whole aim was to keep
Paraguay from intercourse with the rest OF
the world
DR. Francia differed from other South
American dictators in that he was not a
soldier and that the military idea was not
the controlling with him. He was a
lawyer, dabber In experimental science
and disciple of the French philosophical
school. The austerity of his public and his
private life was his one virtue. He excited
the admiration of Carlyle to whom he ap-
pealed of the Strong Men with a
God-given right to rule because of his
strength. but the rest of the world formed
a different judgment.
A Bloody Battle.
After Dictator Francia came Dictator
Carlos Antonio Lopez, under whom some
semblance OF popular government was es-
tablished. but the policy of isolation was
maintained. 1t was the adherence to this
policy which caused the United States 10
make naval demonstration in order to Sc
cure the right of free navigation for its own
and other ships on the inland water courses
This was in the fifties, and grew out or the
firing by the Paraguayan fort on the
American vessel Water Witch. which was
making explorations. The case occupies
prominent place in the naval diplomacy OF
the United States. but 1t does not need to be
recited in detail.
Dictator Carlos Lopez passed the success
sion TO his son Francisco Lopez. and II was