Evening star., 1928-12-26

Continued From First Page)
Bautista Alberdi, in his book on 1.-THE
Brazilian Empire" published in 1867
and dealing with the Bolivian boun-
daries.
If our title to the area is, as these
statements indicate, indisputable, and
it has been recognized by Paraguayans
as well as others who have no interest
at all in the controversy, the Bolivian
sovereignty in the Chaco must be rec
ognized as 1t was in lte colonial days,
and as it was after the constitution of
the republic was adopted.
Other reasons for sustaining our SOW
ereignty are:
Tirst-The several exploratory expe-
ditions led by the Frenchman, Crevaux:
by the Argentinian, Orestes Mendoza:
by Col Andrew Rivas and by Daniel
Compos, who reached Asuncion.
Second-The establishment Of many
missions in the territory by Bolivians.
Third-The founding by us of such
towns and villages as Gaia, Bella,
ESperanza, Ell PalmaS, San Matias,
Cuachalla, Dorvigni, Capitandi, villa
Monies, Villa Manso and Puerto
Pacheco.
Land Grants Recognized.
Fourth-The land grants we made,
and which have been generally recog-
nized without dispute, such as those to
Oliden in 1888, the Belgian Co. and
the North American Co., whose coloniz-
ing work covered 40 square leagues In
the Chaco, and included many agricul-
tural and cattle-breeding enterprises.
Fifth-Our ofi1cial acts Of January
~, 1858, which declared Bahia Negra
and the so-called Fort Of Borbon free
ports and opened to trafic.
Conscious Of her right to this terri
tory, Bolivia was surprised to note in
1879 that Paraguay wished to seize
some part Of the Chaco Boreal. We
Immediately sent our plenipotentiary,
Antonio Quijarro, to Asuncion, hoping
to make friendly adjustment Of our
frontier. Senor Quijarro succeeded in
making a treaty with Paraguay in Oc-
tober, 1879, which was signed In Par
aguay by Jose Segundo Decoud, for
that country. This treaty set down the
limits Of both republics. The boundary
line started from the Apa River and
ran up the Paraguay River to its con-
huence with the Pilcomayo.
1t Is important to remark that this
treaty was approved by the Bolivian
Congress in 1886, and that it was not
even submitted to the Paraguayan
chambers for consideration.
We had to insist on further action.
We again requested Paraguay to make
a friendly agreement In our boundary
dispute. We appointed that time Isaac
Tamayo as our representative to the
Asuncion government. Senor Tamayo
and the Paraguayan, Senor Aceval,
signed a treaty setting up new land
marks and mapping out disputed zone
which should be submitted for arbitra-
ton to King Leopold II Of Belgium.
New Treaty Signed.
This new treaty was signed February
Is, 1887. While the Bolivian Congress
approved the treaty, the Paraguayan
Congress did not even consider 1t, and
It's government, In the meantime, took
possession by force Of Puerto Pacheco,
which Is In the territory Paraguay has
already recognized as belonging to Bo-
livia.
Such a transgression, which shows
the international policy of Paraguay,
resulted, Of course. In our protest and
in our declaration of maintaining our
rights, as clearly set down by the
Quijarro- -Decoud treaty.
In 1890 Bolivia again invited Para
quay to meet for another agreement.
For this purpose we sent our represent
ative. Mariana Boutista, with inStruc-
tions to propose the submission Of the
entire dispute to an arbitral tribunal.
Senior Venancio Lopez Paraguayan sec
retary of state at that time, avoided an
answer by alleging that he had ito
study the matter with the care required
by such an important affair"
The Bolivian government, with great
in 1894 repeated its pre-
vious request for an agreement. The
proposal was made by our minister,
Telmo Ichazo, to the Paraguayan gov
represented by Gregorio BENZ
teS. But Paraguay did not care to make
any agreement whatsoever.
Finally, through the fraternal CO.
operation of the Argentine republic,
both countries signed the Gutierrez |
Diaz Leon protocol April %, 1927. It |
was agreed that the Bolivian and Para |
guayan frontiers should be determined |
BY conference of Paraguayan and !
Bolivian plenipotentaries. It was also |
agreed, however that If they could not |
agree the conference should mark out |
the zone Of the disputed territory and |
submit it to the Argentine government |
for decision.
Unable to Agree.
1t Is unnecessary to go into further |
details. Everybody knows that the |
plenipotentiaries were unable to come |
to an agreement because Paraguay did |
not wish to make any agreement re-
garding the boundary-nor was Para
quay willing to outline a zone to be |
submitted to the Argentine arbitrator. |
The Argentine observer. Isidoro Ruiz |
presented to his government |
an affidavit containing his conclusions, |
which received the complete acceptation |
Of the Bolivian delegation. In this |
affidavit was q solemn declaration that :
any terrttora advance made by either