The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-05-18

sort Of "softy" who might disrupt their system of forced labor. Un- dor the leadership of Irala the col- onists imprisoned the governor, soon after his arrival, and deport. ed him back to Spain. Nothing was ever done to punish these rebels and Irala continued to rule the stttlement until his death.
 State of Peace
 After the hectic period of the early explorations and conquests, Paraguay lapsed into state of peaceful somnolence which was typical of some of the Spanish col- onies during tho Colonial Era, and which lasted for nearly three hun dred years, until 1870. Tho most interesting phase of this period iii Paraguay were the Jesuit missions or reductions in which the native Guarani Indians were gathered. These reductions were possibly the nearest approach to Q Utopian system that tho world has ever known. They were isolated and strictly quarantined from the tur- bulont and worldly Spanish settle- ments around tho Asuncion, and de- veloped along lines dictated by the Jesuit fathers. Each reduction was In charge of two priests, who had tho absolute power of life and death over their charges, and who the mlnutest detail. Money and Indian had his appointed task tn never made too irksome cad | uhinh xuaa yapfae ey,a aA ss,ifh al a 0t a 0 and music. Thesroutine was bros ken at frequent intervals by fiestas and church holidays, at which re- ligious dramas were enacted, foi- lowed by general dancing. The faith of these Indians was 50 deep and their life so hameless that it was said, many years would elapse in some of the missions without even minor midemeanor being committed. The expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767 brought to an end this earthly paradise, and the out. side forces of commercial greed soon reduced tho missions to de- serted ruins.
 Independence in 1918
 | Tn 1870 tho forces of liberal un- rest definitely came to head In America and Paraguay In 1878 was the first Spanish colony to proclaim and unintsrruptedly ly maintain It's independence of Spain, antcdating q similar declaration of what Is now Argentina by three years. As Paraguay had been m integral province of tho old Vice. royalty of the Rio do la Plata, strenuous efforts were made by the leaders in Buenos Aires to force It's return into the United Prov. inces of the Rio do ia Platas aa Argentina was then called; but without success. Tho Paraguayans successfully defended their liberty against all corners and defeated an invading army of tho United Prov inces led by General Belgrano.
 An exaggerated analogy of their thirteen original English colonies had been governed by one highly centralized government with It's capital at Now York, and, if, say Vermont had been distant from tier province some 500 miles further north of It's actual location, with tho Hudson River continuing up to 1t as q navlgable river and being tho only means of communication with the outside world. Supposlng thls distinct province had pro- claimed It's independence not only from Great Britain, but also from the central colonial government at Now York, and because of its re- moteness was able to maintain 1t In fact. supposlng all this and ono can understand the anger which the impudence of Paraguay aroused at Buenos Aires where all hands were fully occupied in pro- tocting their exposed coast line from Spanish attack, and, of course, protecting Paraguay free of charge. Argentina never recog- nized Paraguay as m independent country until some forty odd years later and In tho meantime subject- ed her to many annoyances such as closing the Parana River to traffic. interfering with cargoes transshipped at Buenos Aires. etc.; all of which was probably done with somo vague hope of forcing the crring sister back into the fold. Dr dcE'rancia's Success
 | Paraguay's success was largely due tO Dr Jose Casper Rodriguez dcE'rancia, a most remarkable per- sonaiity, of whom the novelist, Edward Lucas White, goes so faE as tO say tn the preface of hts fRs- clnating hook, "Icl Suprein0'', that he was s'indubitably one of ths greatest men this world has ever produced, and, without exception the most wonderful man ever b0rE in either North or South America.' 7 These are pretty strong words. es- pecia1ly if the smallness of the stage upon which Francia played is taken into consideration, but there is small doubt but that pr Francia was an extraordinary char acter and man of many parts being a scholar. scientist, linguist soldier. and politician of the first rank. He became the Supreme Dictator" of Paraguay In 1913 and ruled as such until his death in 1S40. His policy, possibly derived from the old Jesuits. was one oi strict isolation and quarantine against the chaos and anarchy which existed in tho neighborhood known as "the hermit republic" and executions against tho loyal ists who favored reunion with Spain and those who wished incorpora- Ition into the United Provinces, he preserved a state of civil law and order which was unmatched at the time in any other Spanish Amcri. can country.
 He was succeeded by another dictator, Carlos Lopez, also an uns usual man, who greatly developed lfhe material resources of the coun- try and made it's rate of IiterRcy the highest in Latin America. He died in 1s62. leaving Paraguay. 2 |pronper0us and peaceful countr5 lwlth tho unique record of never having had q revolution.