The National tribune., 1908-07-16
A REvoLur1oN IN PARAGUAY.

A REvoLUtaoN IN PARAGUAY.
1t seems thatOne revolution has been
pulled OF Successfully in South Amer
lea. In the remote. embarrassing little
State of Paraguay the rerolutionists
have overturned the Government and
made the Vice President President
Paragraphs onehof the least interesting
of the back COUNTRIES of the world. 1t
is little, absolutely unprogressive
country, situated far up the Parana
River and absolutely si,ut off from the
world except for this river, the naviga-
ton of which lis difficult, by the sur
rounding States of Argentina. Uruguay
and Brazil. 1t has $4,000 square miles,
as near as can be ascertained, or about
the size of Oregon or Wyoming. In
1905 the population was estimated at
| 631,347, including $4,000 Indians. Most
of the people are of mixed Spanish, In
| dian and negro blood Communication
with the outer world is by little steam
ers running up to -Asuncion and carry
| ing small cargos. There are but 156
miles of railroad in the country, and
the roads are in general mere bullock
| tracks with no facilities for the trans
| portation of produce. The only tele-
graph is one that runs along the rail-
| road and this is the sole connection
with the outside world. The commerce
| is insignificant. with about $4,000. 900
worth of imports and $2.500,000 of ex-
ports. The bigger part of the imports
are cotton cloths and the exports are
mate, or Paraguay tea, hides, tobacco,
timber, oranges and hair. The coun-
try is hopelessly in debt, owing to its
continual disorders. There is little at
tempt at education and altogether ii is
about as backward a region as can be
found. The country was originally part
of the Vice Royalty of Peru and at one
time seemed hopeful region. This
was mainly due to the Jesuits, who did
some of their best work there. They
became degenerate afterward and had
to be expelled. 1t is claimed that at
the time of their expulsion in 1853 they
had gathered around them and given
some education and habits of industry
to 100000 natives. The Spanish Gov
eminent was quietly overthrown in
1911, and the Government soon passed
into the hands of Dictator, the cele-
brated DIR. Jose Gaspard Francia, who
ruled the country with rod of iron
until his death in 1910. His policy was
that of absolute isolation of the coun-
try, preventing all foreigners entering
and prohibiting as much as possible
communication with the surrounding
States. His policy was followed by his
successors, until 1870, when Dictator
Lopez plunged the country into a ter
rife war with Brazil, Argentina, and
Uruguay. This not only killed off
nearly all the able-bodied men but ut
terly exhausted the country's resources
and burdened it with an immense debt
The struggle terminated with the death
of the Dictator and treaty. of peace
by which more liberal policy was in
stituted r. Fl
There has been the same pretense as
in other. South American countries of
maintaining aiRepublican form of gov
eminent, In Paraguay this has been
more of pretense than in the other
Countries The government has been
in the hands Of tyrants who grasped
the reins Of power and maintained
themselves as absolute despots by the
use of armed force. The President,
who was deposed. was Gen. Renigno
Ferreya. who entered the office in De-
cember, 1905, and had consequently
two years yet to serve. The revolution
is said to have been the result of a
combination by the Liberal and the
Colorado Parties. OF course, there are
no real parties in Paraguay, any more
than in any other of the South Ameri-
can States. They are merely organ
lied bands of spells hunters and it is a
misnomer to designate them as parties.