Mr. Ruffin to Mr. Loomis.
Asuncion, Paraguay, August 11, 1904.
Sir: I beg to confirm my telegram of to-day stating that a revolution has broken out in this Republic, and to explain that same was [Page 860] sent in Spanish because the telegraph office would not receive either cipher messages or telegrams in English, giving as their reason that there was declared a censure on messages going out of the country.
The translation of same is as follows:
Paraguay in state of seige. Revolutionary forces on the river and those of the Government have fought. Legations here give asylum. Telegraph if this consulate should give asylum.
Since sending you this telegram the river encounter has been confirmed, and the Government forces were defeated, the minister of the interior, who led the forces, being taken prisoner.
The state of siege as declared you will find on the accompanying page in Spanish.a This declaration places the entire country under military laws, and the Government is amassing a large number of troops to suppress the revolution. It is impossible at present to say whether it will be of long or short duration. The revolutionary forces are proceeding up the river in boats, and the Government has placed or erected defenses along the river near the capital.
Upon inquiries as to the cause of this revolution I am informed that the opposition to the Government is that the party in power is endeavoring to exclude entirely the liberal element from participation in the administration of affairs, assigning that said party, which is in power, which is denominated “Colorados,” have not sufficient persons prepared for the administration of the Government. On the other hand, the “Colorados” assign that the revolution is due to ambitious persons who form an opposition and are classed under the name “Azul,” colorados meaning “reds” and azul “blues.”
* * * * * * *
I am, etc.,
- Not printed.↩