Evening star., 1925-02-08
Paraguays s New Envoy
Ranks In Nation $ List
OF Noted Publicists
Sonora Ayala. Minister $
Consort. Is Native of
Paris-Family Home Soon
to Be Established.

Ahc munster from PARAGUAY, Dr.
Eusebio Ayala is the first envoy from
that pastoral and romantic country
since DR.. Manuel Gondra left Wash
ington in 1920. DR. Gondra and his
FAMILY were here for nearly three
years and their home, at 1881 Mas
sachusetts avenue, was most hos
pftable one. Paraguay's new repre-
sentative Is one of his country's most
distinguished publicists. He crowned
mis- career in various national posts
by succeeding to the presidency, an
off1ce which he held until April 10,
1923, when he was in turn succeeded
by the present chief executive, Senior
Eligio Ayala, who, though bearing the
same name, is not related to his
predecessor. DR.. Ayala is by profess
sion lawyer and made his studies
In the fine national University of
Asuncion founded at the capital
about 80 years ago. He also took
courses at the University of Paris and
at the Sorbonne
Though this is the first official resi-
dence OF DR.. Ayala in this country he
has been frequent visitor here. He
was delegate from Paraguay to the
an-Amer1can financial congress held
IN Washington in 1916, and before and
since that mission he has been here
several times. when passing through
en- route to Europe or to attend to
personal matters. Paraguay has
founded her constitution almost ex-
actly on that of the United States.
Dr. Ayaia finds Latin America so
strongly intrenched in the English
speaking republic of North America,
so many of It's citizens in honored
posts, that already he feels at home
and among his friends. The beautiful
American Union Building has i'm
pressed him wonderfully, as express
Ing in concrete form the relations
which hold the peoples of this hemis-
phere in the closest bonds
Sonora Ayala is native of Paris
and was before her marriage IL years
ago, Mile Marcelle Durand The
wedding occurred in the French cap
ital during a protracted residence of
Senior Ayala, who was then engaged
In course of study. There is a
hne son, Roger Henri, about 10, who
has been entered in St. Adams, more
familiar to Washingtonians az the
Cathedral School for Boys. Sonora
Ayala does not speak English, though
she has a working knowledge of the
language, and the boy could not
speak IT either when he arrived three
weeks ago. However, he has already
begun to handle the vernacular easily
mother in her studies. Sonora Ayala has
attacked the problem in earnest, has
engaged a teacher and supplements
her own introductions by aiding her
son in preparing his lessons. Wash
lngton, as so many diplomatists and
their families have discovered is one
Capital City of the world where a
perfect command of French will not
aid in social intercourse. For out
.fl
persons in a hundred can speak any
tongue save their own and this, too,
applies equally to the State Depart
ment contingent as well as to gen
ersl society.
Dr.. Ayala will for the present con-
tinue to have both his home and his
chancellor at Wardman Park Hotel |
He will. however, as he and Sonora
Ayala became more accustomed to
conditions here, look about for a
home in a quiet residential section.
His country, being largely agricul
tural, shares in way the problems
which farmers the world over are
facing at the present. Paraguay is
an inland and very fertile and beau
t1ful land, with a great river, the
Paraguay, which joins the Plata and
empties into the South Atlantic. This
vast water course, with a fine rail- |
road system, makes the country pros |
porous and self-supporting. though |
naturally the exports and imports to |
and from the United States are a |
question of supreme Importance.
One of the minor difficulties which |
the new envoy from Paraguay has !
encountered is that the Western |
tongue twists his name and that of !
Senor Olaya, the Minister from Co !
lombia, into one and the same, and !
the result has been much confusion |
as to identity. This will no doubt !
be remedied, as the liquid rs" and |
the difference a. and 20" in their |
names becomes better known.
The Paraguayan Minister is of mid |
die age and of distinguished appear
ance. He speaks English perfectly,
though of recent years living entirely |
In Asuncion he has had little prac-
1ice. Sonora Ayala is distinctly a /
Par1sienne in appearance, tall, grace
Tul and always most exquisitely
dressed. As the first lady of Asun-
cfon, she was a most capable and
successful hostess and she has the
added advantage of having passed
all of her earlier years in that noted
training school of the polite arts,
Paris. With the advent of Senior
Ayala, the roster OF Latin American
ENJOYS Is complete, except that a |
successor to Senior Arcaya, Venezue- |
Ian Minister, recently called to Cara
cas- to fill a cabinet position, has
not yet been named.