Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-01
PARAGUAY READY
FOR BIG BUSINESS
New Docks, Port Facilities
and Reclamation Projects
Are Under Way.

Economically Paraguay is at the very
beginning of things. 1t might have
been discovered but yesterday. accord
ing to recent article in the PAN
American Bulletin. Its immense posi-
bilities as food producer, both animal
and vegetable, are practically unknown
and undeveloped. Yet Paraguayan civil
liZation, except from its economic side,
is modern and up-to-date. Paraguayan
imports of other South American coun-
tries. The Paraguayan is much the
same kind of man and lives in much the
same way as his neighbor in Argentina,
Uruguay or Brazil With all this. his
country is the least developed of any.
During all the colonial period and
down to its independence. in 1911, Para
quay was Hooked 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 Uru-
quay were all neglected. For much Of
this period in Paraguay the Jesuits
were conducting an experiment IN CIVIL
lizine, the Guarani Indians, which in
rest of the world. Soon after indie
pendence came the Francia dictatorship.
ending in 1871. Almost Immediately
following Francia came the dictatorship
of thatwo Lopez, that of carlos Antonio
Lopez ending in 1862 and of Francisco
Solano Lopez in 1870. The policy OF
these dictators was similar (but for
a very different reason) to that OF the
Jesuits, viz. to maintain Paraguay as
a hermit country and unknown 10 tne
ii fa
world was concerned. the result was
the same-that for almost century
and a half Paraguay was closed ana
unknown book. At the Anal defeat ana
death of Francisco Lopez, IN le'o' Iar
apuay was left PROSTATE as no other
country in the world for thousand
years has been Frustrated.
War to the Last Ditch.
For six years Lopez had kept up the
UNEQUAL struggle against Argentina,
Brazil and Uruguay. This was war to
the last ditch and beyond. The Para
guayans died almost to man. The
final levies included men almost too
old to- walk and little boys just out
of pinafores They all died. and many
thousands of women and girls fighting
bv their sides. At the close of the
war Paraguay was almost country
of women alone III 1910 the popuie'
ton numbered l.337.4S9: in 1871 the re-
turns showed only 221.O79 persons resi-
dent in the republic. With such ms
tory. is it wonder that Paraguay has
remained undeveloped? Rather 1T is
wonder that it has made the progress
that it has. for after all Paraguay is
intellectually and socially by no means
backward. and even in industrial i'm
proveInent it has much to show for the
forty-fve years that have elapsed. The
hos L
ened No sacrifice for the country is
dream of future grandeur and progress
is too unreal TO attain this ideal the
country needs outside help. 1t must
have capital 1t must have develop
ment. and it must be better known.
At the basis of this development
there must be railway and fuvial inn
provement The great Paraguay river
is there. with its f1ne port. Asuncion.
the capital of the country. but it's dock
ing facilities are grossly inadequate.
October Is, 1915. the ParaguayaE con-
gress enacted the final legislation which
closed a contract with an American
corporation. Macarthur Perks 4 Co.
Itd.). to construct new docks and port
facilities which will accommodate the
largest steamers. and. incidentally. re-
claim a large area of land now parti-
ally submerged and useless. The new
warehouses will have a capacity of
something like $4,000 cubic feet and
will have all modern equipment Para
quay is thus getting ready for it's con-
stantlS growing commerce. and this is
but one phase of its progress.