The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-03-30
PARAGUAY PROGRESSES

most in the very heart of the COntin-
ent, sandwiched in between, Bolivia
and Brazil on the north and east and
Argentina on the south and west is To-
Gated the heroic little country known
as Paraguay. The adjective heroic
is used adviselly, for when it comes
10 patriotic fighting the world must
doff its hat to this little republic. IT
there ever was a nation that fought
to the last ditch it is Paraguay, and
II there is another instance in history
modern, medieval, or ancient,
where a people fought SO completely
to the point of utter exhaustion, al
most to extinction before they ran up
the white flag. tchas been rather care.
fully concealed. In this particular Par
aguay may be said to be about sui
gcneris. l.g.... e..
During all the colonial period and
down its independence, in 1911, Para
quay was looked upon merely as a
halfway house to the rich Peruvian
and Bolivian mines, Agriculture, and
even stock raising, was uncOnsidered
| in this era Argentina, Paraguay, and
Uruguay were all neglected. For much
of this period in Paraguay the Jesuits
we're conducting an experiment IN
lcivilizing the Guarani Indians, which
involved non commuHcation, with the
'est of the world Soon after independ.
ence came the 7Francia' dictatorship,
ending in 1S41 Almost immediately
following FranCia came the dictator
ship of thetw Lopez, that of Carlos
| Antonio Lopez ending in 1862. and OF
Francisco Solauo Lopez, in 1870. The
policy of, these dictators was similar
| Gbut for a very different reasOn). to
that OF the Je8uits. viz, to maintain
| Paraguay as q hermit country and un'
known to the loutside world. So far as
the outside world was concerned. the
result was the same--that for almost
| y century and half Paraguay was a
closed and unknown book At the final
Idefeat and death Of Francisco Lopez,
| in 1870. Paraguay was left PROSTATE
IS no other country in the world for a
tthOusOnd years has been FRUSTRATED.
For six wears Iope2 had kent up the
unequal struggle against Argentina,
Prazlle and Uruguay. This was war to
he last ditch end beyond. The Para.
guavap7 died almost to man. The II
nal lev'es inClr-lcd men almost too old
70 walk ar1 litGe hOvs just ont of
ninafores. Thev all died, and many
thousands Of wOT?n and girls fighting
bv their sides. At the close of the
war Paraguay was almost country
of women alone In 1853 the population
numbered 1887 ,4S9; in 1871 the re
turns showed only z2l,O7 persons
resident in the Republic. With such a
| history, is it u wonder that Paraguay
has reaineI undeveloped? Rather 1t
is a wonder that it has made the pro
gress that it has, for after al Paraguay
! is intellectually and socially by nc
means backward, and even in indus
trial improV ements it has much to
show for the A. years that have
elapsed. The spirit of the country has
never weakened. No sacrifice is toe
great for any Para3uayan and nc
dream of future grandeur and prog
ress is too unreal To attain this ideal
the country needs outside help. II
must have capital. 1t must have de
ivelopment, and it., must be better
iknown At the basis of this develop
ment there must he railway and fiuv
ial Improvement The great Paraguay
river Is there with its fine port, Asun
cion, the capital of the country, but
Its docking facilities are grossly in
adequate. On October Is. 1915. the
Paraguayan Congress enacted the final
Legislation which closed a contract
with an American corporation, to con
strrrt new docks and port facilities
which will accommodate the largest
steamers and incidentally reclaim
largo area OF land now partially sub
merged and useless. The new ware
houses will have a capacity of some
thing like 10000 cubic feet and VIII
have all modern equipment. Paraguay
is thus getting ready for it's constant
Iy. growing commerce. and this is but
one phase OF its progress.