Bisbee daily review., 1920-07-04
REPUBLICS IN SOUTH AMERICA
 IN OLD FIGHT
Tacna and Africa Become the Alsace and Lorraine of
 Bolivians


 only South American problem which may go before the League of Nations for settlement. There has existed for years a controversy between Paraguay and Bolivia overa strip of territory in the heart of South Africa as big as the state Of California. This, it is under stood. is on the program for consider alton by the League.
 It is probably not generally known that when the American peace ex- perts under Colonel House collected their data on world problems for use at the Paris Peace conference, they included report on the issues be- tween Bolivia and Paraguay over the possession of this territory, which is called on Bolivian maps the Bolivian Chaco and on Paraguayan maps the Paraguayan Chaco.
 The case of the Chaco is known to have been also brought before the con- ference by the Bolivian peace dele gate, Senator Montes. It was decided. 1t IS understood here, to postpone the question for early settlement by the League.
 These problems hold for Bolivia, hemmed in on all sides by other states, the realization of her greatest political and commercial ambition. her own territorial outlet to the sea. Possession Of the port o1 Africa would give her an outlet to the Pacific. and. curious as il may seem, possession ot the Chaco, or at least part or it, would give her egress to the Atlantic. For the Chaco borders the great River Paraguay, allluent of tho River Plate. and on the Chaco side Of the river, 2.000 miles from Buenos Aires. IS a little DOT. called Bahia Negra. Here ocean steamships from the United States and Europe could take or, cargo transported across the northern edge CT the Chaco from the Bolivian mines and fanls.
 But in the year 1886, a few years after Bolivia had lost in war the Paci- fic port of Antofagasta ana was turn ing her eyes eastward, Bahia Negra was seized by Paraguay and has been in her possession even since. Para quay, Furthermore, made land allot- ments in the Chaco, whose unsur passed pasture and great quebracho forests were beginning to attract the white man. A mysterious. unexplored land, stretching nofthward from the Pllcomayo river on the Argentine border and westward from the River Paraguay into undisputed Bolivian territory. it has not been directly crossed by white men since the days .of the Spanish conquerors since the year l54S to be exact. Except near the rivers, it is inhabited only by say age Indian tribes to this day, but both nations looked forward to it's possibili- ties, which recently have included that of finding petroleum.
 Bolivia protested the seizure of Bahia Negra and also made land alIot- ments in the Chaco. It is true that Bolivia had an edstern outlet already by the River Paraguay, but her com merce had to go through the Brazilian rlVer port of COrumba, little north of Bahia Negra, momving down from the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz by mule team, along the northern edge of the Chaco, as it still does.
 To uphold their claims both govern ments unearthed musty archives in Madrid dealing with the expeditions of the Spanish conquerors and the land grants of the Spanish crown in negotiations have been initiated be- tween the two governments from time to time looking to division of the territory but either one congress or the other refused to ratify the agree ments which the diplomats drew I'D.
 The report of the American peace experts on the question was placed in lofficial archives against the tune when the League of Nations Nas ready to take the matter up. Much of the material, it is learned, was sup plled by young American sent to south America to investigate and whose private opinion is that a logical settlement of the dispute would be an equal division of the territory, but which would give Bolivia her coveted port.
 There are interesting possibilities in the settlement for those who have re ceiyed land grants in the Chaco from one government or the other Some
 of these are vast in extent One citi
 zen from Argentine has secured 1T
 Paraguayan grants sole title to ar area larger than Holland and Belgium combined
 Of the Episcopal church at Douglas
 The brides father. II. F. Chancey. was present.
 Miss Chancey is a native of tho Warren ictr