The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-18
BY ARCH RODGERS
United Press Staf Correspondent

t(Op1llknb. 1907 w OA&bS0 ELtcof
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Dec.
ia century of dispute, which the
ultimate efforts of diplomacy could
not prevent from becoming a war
to the death, is coming to a climax
in South America.
After two and half years of SAN
culinary fighting, the Bolivian and
Paraguayan armies are nearing the
end of their war over possession Of
the Gran Chaco region. Paraguay,
in a sweeping offensive along a 200
mile front, is pressing against the
last defenses of Bolivia proper, and
the Bolivians are massing the full
extent of their man-power to halt
them in the final, decisive phase of
the war.
Paraguay's RICH flank is moving
toward FIT. Carandaiti, the last i'm
portant Bolivian stronghold on the
path to- its army base at Villa
Monies.
Diplomatic Relations Severed
The smoldering friction between
the two proud people broke into
flame in 1928, when word reached
La Paz and Asuncion, the capitals,
that border patrols had claShed in
the Chaco. Diplomatic relations
were severed.
Futile negotiations continued
until 1882. In June of that year,
hoStilities started when it was an
nounced in Asuncion that the b.
livians had attacked Fl. Carlos An
tonic Lopez, called Pitiantuta by
the Bolivians. Both sides claimed
the position and mutually accused
each other of the aggression.
The ParaguayanS recaptured the
fort a month later and the b.
livians Immediately retaliated with
the capture of three Paraguayan
positions, the most important being
Ft. Boqueron.
The really heavy fighting, in
which men died by the thousands,
started in September, 1882, when
the ParaguayanS, anticipating an
attack against Fl. Isla-Poi, head
quarters of its general staff, began
q drive against FIT. Boqueron.
Both Display Contracts
The dispute is ver possession of
a vaguely defined territory of near
ly a hundred thousand square miles,
lying between the two countries and
possessing rich potentialities in
timber, agriculture, cattle and pos
sibly oil. 1t arose over different in
terpretations of the treaty of 1910,
when the South American colonies
won their independence from Spain
and set up various republics.
Both Bolivia and Paraguay pre-
sent documents supporting their
claim to the region. The dispute
was unsucceSsfully submitted to ar
IRRITATION and neither showed great
disposition to go to war over the
territory. In 1879-1883, however,
Bolivia and Peru were defeated in
a costly war with Chile in which
Bolivia lost her seacoast on the Pa
cif1c, becoming a land-locked nation.
In later years, although allowed
unhamperod rail transit to the Pa
cilc across Tacna-Arica, Bolivia
felt she needed outlet to the At
lantic by access to the navigable
waters of the Paraguay River, which
flows down through Paraguay and
Argentina to the sea. Where it
touches Bolivia in its upper reach
es, it is navigable only for shallow
draft vessels, but the Chaco region
extends to the confluence of the
Pilcomayo and the Paraguay, where
the latter broadens and deepens.
Bolivia wants a ready outlet for
her exports of minerals. especially
the vital tin which is the backbone
of her existence, and for oil. Para
quay resisted her claims.