Evening star., 1928-12-30
CHACO CLAIMS ARE BASED
/ ON TITLE AND POSSESSION
Bolivian Contentious Stress Historical
Documents While Paraguay Holds
to Occupation Arguments.

nearness to Paraguay, this government
does not possess any portion in that
territory" And this was true fact so
acknowledged that it was no obstacle
against the granting to Azara by the
municipal government of ASuncion, as
a reward for the work mentioned, the
title of "Illustrious Paraguayan," not
only showing gratitude thereby, but
also. as is quite evident, evincing its
| conformity with what was stated in
the learned book.
Juan Francisco de Aguirre, demar-
Gator of boundaries for the possessions
of Spain and Portugal in America, af-
firms in his diary that "the jurisdiction
of Paraguay as a government extends
to the west up to the settle
ment of certain Spanish provinces,
considerable extension of wild land,
which is the Great Chaco, the border of
which is the western bank of the Para
quay River"
And it is we'll to bear in mind also
the opinions to the same effect with
regard to the boundaries between Par
aguay and Chaco, expressed with full
knowledge of the case by witnesses as
trustworthy as Julio R. de Cesar, Cosme
Bueno, Fray Inocencio Canete, Lidan y
Cisneros, Father Guevara and Antonio
Alcedo, who in the course of centuries
have had occasion to refer to the boun-
daries of the Province of Paraguay.
Audiencia Incorporated.
Finally, when Buenos Aires by Royal
charter of June a. 1777, was constituted
a VicerOyalty. the Audiencia de CharcaS
was incorporated therein as including
all the "Corregimientos" districts
under a Corregidor), townships and
territories over which its jurisdiction
extended as from 1863, forming single
undivided unit within the new colonial
organization. And as such unit it
remained until 1910. When the proper
area of each new country formed from
the former vast empire of Spain was con-
Sidered, by common consent of all the
new States, the "ulti-possidetiS juris" as
of 1910 was accepted as final basis. In
other words, each new country was to
comprise the land which belonged to its |
colonial unit in 1870 In 1910 Chaco
was an integral part and parcel of the |
Audiencia of Charcas, and when the !
Audiencia of CharcaS was constituted |
as the Republic of Bolivia by the uti-
possidetiS just explained, the new state
that took for its name that of the great |
liberator was conceived and exercising
its new sovereignty over Chaco. So
Bolivians hold that the Chaco province |
rightfully belongs to them.
Paraguay's side in the controversy is |
thus presented:
ION the western side of the Paraguay |
River extends a vast territory, several |
thousand square miles, says President |
Guggiari of Paraguay, this territory be- |
ing, since colonial days, part of the |
jurisdiction of the government of Asun- |
cion."
Executive Explains.
To explain this, the Paraguayan Ex- |
ecutive adds: "Asuncion, as capital of |
the Province of Paraguay, was the most |
important colonization nucleus of all |
districts adjoining the river of the same |
name. 1t was in AScuncion, therefore, |
that the Spaniards concentrated their |
efforts to dominate the neighboring |
regions, including Gran Chaco. When |
independence was attained the terri |
tory of Gran Chaco naturally became
part of the territorial estate of the new
Republic of Paraguay, which inherited |
the Spanish Province of Paraguay"
And to prove it, Paraguayans adducc
the arbitratioral decision given out by
President Hayes of the United States in |
1870. deciding that the part Of the |
Gran Chaco extending to the north of |
Ascuncion belonged solely to Paraguay |
and thus defeating the supposed rights |
claimed by the Argentine government |
over that territory.
Bolivia inherited the Spanish prov
ince of High Peru-states the Para
guayan viewpoint-adjoining the bor-
der of Paraguay, precisely at the
northern edge of Gran Chaco. The |
boundaries between the provinces had
not been properly outlined. The ter |
ritorial boundaries of the colonial era |
were somewhat vague, and remained so |
after independence was gained. To
eliminate this impression of uncertain |
ty Paraguay and Bolivia signed three |
boundary treaties from 1879 to 1894, |
which were not ratified later for sew
eral reasons. In all three treaties. |
Paraguay and Bolivia referred to the |
question as "a demarcation of boun- |
daries." It was never, in any sense, |
considered matter affecting the DOM
ination of Gran Chaco, whose Para |
Such Is the Paraguyan contention.
Claim Based on Possession.
Even though legal titles and historical
documents are the real grounds for the
Bolivians claiming ownership to the
province in question, the Paraguayan
claim is based on possession. Paraguay,
because of her proximity to the Chaco
territory, her easy access and commu-
AI4NdeAOAA WAO4A AZ aLlo 1bo dQdpCdUll1Ly W
her living conditions, established her
self in the Chaco province long before
the Bolivians ever thought of asserting
title to it. The Paraguayans were the
first to explore and establish them
selves in it. They have, for the past
century, brought civilization to it.
These are the principal reasons upon
which Paraguay bases her claim to the
disputed territory. In addition to this,
in the course of the controversy and in
various treaties that have been signed,
Bolivia to a certain extent recognized
Paraguay's possession of part of the
Chaco province, and although none of
these treaties is now in effect, this has
sufficed according to the Paraguayan
contention, to justify her claim of own
ership over the territory under dispute.