Evening star., 1928-12-13

through recent developments, it is not
Of transient origin. Tentative but un-
ratified settlements date back to 1879.
In 1887 an agreement was made in a
conference, under which the disputed
Gran Chaco was divided into three
cross-sections, the southern section be-
ing awarded to Paraguay the northern
to Bolivia and the middle to remain
neutral until some further arrangement
could be found But the agreement
was rejected by Paraguay as unfair to
that country, which claimed full SOW
ereignty by reason of discovery four
centuries ago.
In 1894 another tentative boundary
was found running from a certain point
on the Paraguay River to the principal
course of the Pilcomayo River, at 81
degrees 81 minutes west. That would
have given Bolivia great area of
land, but still no port on the Paraguay
River, hence no outlet to the Atlantic,
and so it was refused and never even
submitted to the Bolivian congress.
Nineteen years later direct negotiations
were opened, but failed because of dis
agreement as to the port. In 1918, by
agreement, all previous treaties or nego-
tiations on the controversy were def
litely annulled, so as to enable the coun-
tries to start all over again. Paraguay
insists upon her undivided sovereignty
from the Paraguay River to the first
ranges of the Andes, yet some of the
western regions of the Chaco have been
under de facto rule of Bolivia for many
years, and, as voluntary" concession,
Paraguay offers, to relinquish her claims
to such territory under Bolivian control.
But that is not port to the sea and
that port is the key to all of Bolivia'S S
agitation.
According to Paraguayan claims, the
Gran Chaco region was discovered in
1915 by Juan de Soils, who first found
the Parana River and, according to
the customs of nations, claimed all the
region watered or drained by that river
system De Soils sailed up the River
Plate II years before Pizarro came to
Peru to conquer the Incas, and 10 years
before Sebastian Cabot, who continued
De Soils discoveries up the Parana
River. Charles v recognized De Soils
discoveries and undertook to found a
colony in the Plate region. The first
two settlements failed. but a successful
one was founded at Asuncion in 1887,
whence an expedition, under Irala,
penetrated Chaco in 1912. and to the
present site of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
In 1547, when Irala became governor,
he led an expedition across Chaco and
spent three years at Chiquitos, near the
base of the Andes. This Is the basis of
Paraguay's claim to title to all of Chaco
confirmed by four centuries of
possession.
The first Alto-Peruvian (Bolivian) to
descend to the loWlands of Chaco was
Andes Monso, together with Nuf1o and
ChaveS, with Paraguayan troops 1856
1860. Nuf1o was killed by Chiriguano
Indians, leaving the command to the
Paraguayan officer, Chaves.
Gov Irala then commissioned ChaveS
to lead an expedition of 220 soldiers and
$500 Indians to Chiquisaca and Lima,
where Chaves received from the viceroy
of Peru proprietorship of all Chaco, and
Chaves, operating with Paraguayan
troops, founded Santa Cruz de la Sierra,
and placed 10000 Chiquito Indians in
"encomiendo settlements"
Another Paraguayan, Vera, In 1888
founded settlement on the Bermejo
River, at Conception de Buena Es-
peranza.
/ All this time the Spaniards of Alta
Peru (Bolivia) made no attempt to
settle Central or Eastern Chaco, but
in 1891 Tarija was founded by Alta
Peru in the extreme west of Chacc
as a fort to protect against the Chiri-
guano Indians. Paraguay is ready to
. concede that western region of Tarija
and Santa Cruz. For more than three
centuries all of Eastern and Central
| Chaco has been policed from Asuncion
the capital of Paraguay-and Para
! quay declares that that country has
never even agreed to sell any part OF
| her territory in Chaco, except thai
western region.
When President Roosevelt led his
expedition Of discovery he passed ur
] the Paraguay River. and he describes