834.00 Revolutions/29
The Chargé in Bolivia (Muccio) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the Bolivian press has been most guarded in its references to the overthrow of the Franco Junta in Paraguay and has done little more than to publish Associated Press and United Press releases reporting the course of events in Paraguay. This cautiousness reflects the uncertainty existing in Bolivian Government circles as to what effect the change in the administration may have on the course of the Chaco peace negotiations. Bolivia anxiously awaits indications of the attitude of the new Paraguayan regime towards the Chaco problem.
The Sub-Secretary of Foreign Relations mentioned to me he feared that one of the main causes of the change was the desire of Paraguay to liberate itself from the commitments made by the Ayala and Franco governments respecting the Chaco and that the leader of the movement is known to be most obdurate against any concessions by Paraguay that might make an agreement possible. Mr. Anze Matienzo reminded me that one of the very first acts of Colonel Busch upon assuming the Provisional Presidency was to communicate to the Chaco Peace Conference his intention of abiding fully by the provisions of the Protocols. This had been done primarily with the hope that it might be a precedent to any change of regime in Paraguay.
La Razón of August 17th editorially pointed out that the change in regime brought up three aspects: 1. To know whether or not the new government will respect existing treaties; 2. to know in what sense the new regime will hurry to regularize its relations with the Buenos Aires Peace Conference; 3., and, finally, to define in what measure the attitude of the army can exercise a control over the ex-combatant elements which, under the overthrown government, showed themselves stubborn to all pacific understanding. A copy and translation18 of this editorial are enclosed.
El Diario of August 18th reported that during a press interview Dr. Fabian Vaca Chávez, Bolivian Minister of Foreign Relations, [Page 735] called attention to an article in the Crítica, of Buenos Aires, in which mention was made that Lt. Colonel Ramón L. Paredes, head of the August 13th revolution, was the chief of the garrison in the Chaco who refused to recognize the orders of Colonel Franco in connection with putting into effect the regulations governing the zone of separation. Dr. Vaca Chávez is reported to have commented that no official information had been received as to the attitude of the new government on international matters, but that the attitude of Lt. Colonel Paredes brought up a question which should be dispelled at the earliest opportunity.
On August 18th La Razón headlined that Argentina had helped the revolution of Lt. Colonel Paredes and quoted the following despatch to Jornal do Brasil from the Agenda Brasilera, Asunción:
“The revolution which has just modified the constitution of the Paraguayan Government assumes considerable importance from the point of view of South American constitutional policy. The revolution was directed especially against the international politics of Franco and Chancellor Stefanich, whose orientation in matters of continental policy was looked upon with disfavor by certain elements closely allied to the Argentine and which suffered a strong influence from Buenos Aires.”
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩