If the arrest of the President Bolivia by officers of his own arm: doe: indeed lead to the conclusion the Paraguayan-Bolivian war it will be a very good thing. For the Lasi two and a half years the world has from. time {to time been astounded]
the hideousness of the fighting which has been proceeding the Gran Chaco. In its early stages the struggle fluctuated considerably, oth sides securing due med success, but of late the Paraguayar armies have made very considerable headway until it is now claimed tha the greater part of the Gran. Chaco the hands of the Paraguayans while the Bolivians have been scverely defeated with little chance of their being able to make an effective! recovery. Horrible tales of tragic Suffering, and the decimation of th? Union, youth of both countries, but aspect, ally of Bolivia engendered a deter. mination on the part of the Powers to do. their utmost to limit the duration of hostilities by refusing any longer to export arms and munitions to the combatants. There was considerable difficulty to obtaiaing the adherence of all the arms exporting countries to any such proposal and there is no doubt thal even by now the embargo has had] tle opportunity to become effective The position now seems to be. thai having breached the Bolivian line, the Paraguayans, if they succeed 1n widening the gap they have made will have an opportunity of encirct. ing the bulk of the Bolivian army and, consequently inflicting a deci sive defeat upon it. That may bel avoided by the activities of the vice-President, who is reported to oe forming @ Cabinet of national union with the object of negotiating peace} with the Paraguayans. The future] Peace of this portion of South America will, of course, depend upon the manner in which the question of the Bolivian access to" the sea decided. It will be remembered tha Bolivia lost easy routes to the Pacific through Chile and Peru, and was thrown back upon the Rio Parana and thence via Buenos Aires to the Ailantic and it was in an endeavour to force this passage that this tthe embarked upon for possession of the Gran Chac: tives easy access to the Rio Parant. Now that a successful Paraguay} stands across the much desired road, obvious that Bolivia is completely hemmed in, unless the victors $0 modify their terms as to gran' {facilities which should remove. the future necessity for another bitter struggle
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.