LDAGTTC C'F NATIONS
Communicated to the Council. C.3.20.1934. VII.
Geneva, '/arch 14th , 1934
DISPUTE BITTEN F'OLIVIA AND PARAGUAY.
Communication fron the Paraguayan Representative.
Note cy the Secretary-General.
At the request of the Paraguayan Representa tive , the Seere vary-General has the honour to circulate to the Council the following communi cation dated March 6th.
(Translation) Paris, March 6th,1924.
To the Secretary-General.
T have the honour to acknowledge receipt of the four Notes in which you were good enough to "bring to my knowledge the communi cations sent to you by the Delegate of Bolivia concerning the alleged maltreatment of Bolivian prisoners by Paraguay.
..ince these communications, dated January 25th and 2r7th, (1) 1934 , and February 6th and. 24th, 1934, deal with the same subj^c+,
I send you the reply herewith in this one letter.
In the first place I must record on behalf of my Govei ment an unqualified and indignant denial of these slanderous accusations.
Such allegations are in keeping with the policy of systematic disparagement pursued by Bolivia since the beginning cf the conflict, with a view to misleading ill-informed European pu j.lîc opinion. This campaign she has carried cn with increased violence since she has realised the failure of her plan for the invasion of
the Chaco, from which she had expected an easy success. As con
troversy will serve no useful purpose, I will merely communie?.te herewith certain documents in support of my Government’s denial :
(1) See Documents C. 92.1934.VII. C .104.1934.VII. C .109.1934.VII. - 2 -
1 „ Communiqué issued to the Press by the Paraguayan Ministry
foreign Affairs, on November 3rd, 1933;
2 . Telegram from the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Delegation of the International Red Cross at Buenos Ayres, dated November 4 th, 1933;
3. Attestation, dated November 8th, 1933, of the students of the Faculty of Economic Science of the town of Rosario (Argentine
Republic) , after their visit to the Bolivian war prisoners’ camps at Campo-G-rande ;
4. Statement recently made to the paper La Nacion” of
Buenos Ayres by Monseigneur Devoto, Auxiliary Bishop of that town.
This statement contains in particular a denial of the accusation embodied in the last communication made to you, on February 24th,
1S34, by the Delegate of Bolivia. It definitely establishes the facts concerning the return by Paraguay to Bolivia - this, incidentally, without reciprocity and thanks to the action of the argentine authorities at Formosa, following representations by the
Vatican - of the 42 severely wounded and incurable prisoners of the
Bolivian army. Monseigneur Devoto, the author of this statement, had accompanied the Apostolic Nuncio of the Eoly See, who had come from Buenos Ayres to Asuncion, and was therefore in a position to form his own opinion on the spot as to the condition of the
Bolivian prisoners.
This attestation corroborates that previously made by the
International Red Cross as well as that of the members of the League
°f Nations Commission which was sent to the scene of the conflict.
I should be greatly obliged if you would communicate to jhe Council and the Members of the League of Nations this Note, as
''ell as the annexed documents, after having them translated by the services concerned, in order to avoid any discussion as to the
^ansia tion. I have the honour, etc.
(Signed) R„ V. Caballero de Bedoya Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Paraguay in France Delegate to the League of Nations. - 3 -
Translation. 1 •
”l-L LIBERAI.^ , HGVU.BjSR 3RD, 1935.
TRFATyELT OF BOLIVIA ' ?RLi:C?:£RS.
FROr TIE lrIFISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS A'D PUBLIC WORSHIP.
Communicated to the Press t
With reference to reports circulated by certain news
agencies, und coming from Bolivian sources, concerning a
request nude by ' group of La F:.z somen to foreign legations
accredited to the Paraguayan Government, asking those leg-.xti. one
to intervene with a view to rendering mere humane the treatment
of Bolivian prisoners in our hiznds, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Public Worship feels that it is its duty to give
the following explanations:
(1) The Bolivian prisoners receive exactly tho same
treatment as the Paraguayan soldiers who have been mobilised,
as is shown by documentary information supplied to the Govern ment by the delegation of the International Red Cross which visited Paraguay and worked in the Ministry.
(2) The alleged ill treatment from which, according to
the above -mentioned reports, the Bolivien prisoners =?re
suffering does not occur and never has occurred.
(3) The labour conditions In the case of the Bolivian
prisoners who are distributed amongst the various concentration
centres are the same as the generel conditions laid down for
Paraguayan workmen.
(4) Thv rations, quarters _nd clothing of the Bolivian
prisoners are the same as are provided for the Paraguayan
soldiers who guard them.
(5) The statements made in the preceding paragraphs -ire
corroborated hy large numbers of letters written by Bolivian prisoners to their families in Bolivia. (6) Bolivian woundel and nick are treated with no less care thar nationals of the country in the Central
Military Hospital and the various district hospitals.
(7) Tho Paraguayan Government, prompted by humane sentiments, has through the agency of the Red Cross arranged for the repatriation of twenty-six seriously wounded and incurably sick Bolivian prisoners.
(8) Up to the present, according to communications from the La Paz Office for Information concerning Prisoners, the following Paraguayan prisoners, in the hands of Bolivia, have died in Bolivian hospitals: Anastssio Gonzalez Vergara,
Mauricio Soto, Lazaro Zagadu., Angel Acosta Ortiz, Timoteo
Aquino, Andres Rojas, Silvio Britez, Pablo Vi1la1ha, Felix
Achar, Pedro Gonzalez, Juan Quintana and Felipe Nunez. TVtal : twelve deaths of P raguayan prisoners, out of a total of 130 in the hands cf the enemy.
Up to the prosent the following Bolivian prisoners have died: Feliciano Marca, Maximo Durand, Juan Carbajal, Julian
Calizaya, Dometrio Bamechea, Pedro Villanueva Saavedra,
Ezequiel Cordoba, Ramon Mendoza, Bomualdo Zarate, Manuel Cortes,
Tiburcio Silva, Nicanor Silguero, Eugenio Canaviri, Felipe
Bilbao, Bomualdo Zarate, Manuel Relncso, José Manuel Cortes,
Policarpo Kilka, Pedro Villanueva, Manuel Alvarez and Gerardo
Mamani. ' Total : twenty-one deaths of Bolivian prlsoners (five of them as a result of the last bombardment of the Sangre de Guspar Rodriguez Hospital at Francia "by
Bolivian aircraft) out of a total of more then two thousand five hundred prisoners. The enormous disproportion in the number of deaths is a decisive argument concerning the treatment extended to prisoners in the two countries. (9) The report circulated by Bolivia in this matter is unfounded and is intended only to excite the Bolivian public by allegations of ill treatment suffered by their fellow countrymen. - 5 -
II.
"EL LIBERAI”, NQVICIir3KR 5TH, 1955
commuiticatioit f r o m tkl m i n i s t r y of fo re i g n a f f a i p .s .
The International Red Gross Delegation, Paseo Colon, 161, Buenos Aires„
November 4th, 1933.
With reference to the International Red Cross telegram
No. 45,1^9, addressed to Dr. Barbero, President of the Paraguayan
Red Cross, concerning the accusation that Bolivian prisoners in our hands are ill treated, the Paraguayan Government denies the unwarranted allegations made to the Red Cross.
The^accusations mentioned are absolutely false. Your
Delegation is aware of the treatment accorded Toy Paraguay to prisoners, whether in good health, sick or wounded= The hospital of the Bolivian Fourth Division fell completely into the hands of the Paraguayan army without suffering any damage; the wounded captured there are now being treated in this capital. With regard to the granting of assistance, your Dele gation is aware of the laudable efforts of the Asuncion Rotary
Club with the approval, as is clear from proofs in our possession, of the La Paz Rotary Club. There can be no proof of the allega tion that Bolivian prisoners in handcuffs are sent into the first line. The Paraguayan army has no need of this method to attack the Bolivian positions. Every week fresh contingents of
Prisoners captured in various sectors arrive in this capital, thus proving that they are not sacrificed. The Bolivian assertions compel us to bring the following charge: on several occasions Bolivian aircraft have bombarded Paraguayan hospitals barked with the Red Cross at Francia, Isla Pol, the Mennonite - 6 -
Oolonies, Puerto Pinasco, Puerto Casado, and the unfortified
town of Concepcion. These places are essentially of civilian
character and the victims were foreigners and nationals who ara
not concerned in the war. Deaths of Paraguayan prisoners in
Bolivian hospitals from the outbreak of hostilities number
twelve out of a total of one hundred and thirty, whereas amongst the Bolivians in our hands there have been only twenty-
four deaths out of two thousand five hundred. This dispropor tion proves the difference in the treatment. Bolivian action reached its culminating point in the murder of the Paraguayan university student Hernan Velilla, who was taken prisoner and fell into the hands of Captain Busch. Details of this murder
7/ere published in the La Paz newspapers. The Bolivian accusation has no other object than to stir up hatred amongst the families of Bolivian prisoners. Paraguay definitely refuses to admit the Bolivian claim, but will accept any in vestigation instituted by the International Red Cross.
(Signed) BENITEZ,
Minister for Forei gn Affairs. III.
,rEL LIBERAL", NOVEMBER 24th, 19 55.
TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
A further proof.
The Paraguayan Centre at Rosario (Argentine) has received the following letter from students of the Faculty of Economic
Science :
"Rosario, November 8th, 1933.
” To M. Ramon A. Diaz, President of the Paraguayan Centre,
Roserio.
"The undersigned, students in the Higher School of Commerce, members of the delegation which made a visit of enquiry to
Asuncion (Paraguay), in reply to the question addressed to them concerning their observations with regard to the treatment accord
ed to Bolivien prisoners of war, have the honour to inform you as follows : During our visit to the Paraguayan capital we had an opportunity to converse direct v, without the presence of any
Paraguayan soldiers, with the Bolivian prisoners in the Campo Granc'e concentration camp. Those conversations and our own observations lead us to the conclusion that the prisoners are, in the circum stances, receiving excellent treatment and none of them expressed the slightest dissatisfaction or made the slightest complaint.
They are well fed and are kept in healthy conditions and neither their appearancenor their remarks could give rise to the suspicion that they were badly or inadequately treated. By making this re port we are discharging a duty to truthfulness and we are assert- lnS only facts of which we had personal and direct proof. Yours faithfully, (Signed) Roberto Argil el lo, Heraldo L. Boeri, German
,R• Siliberti, Ruggero Vitcranti, Lidio A. Galimherti, Selik A.
Galll> A.M. Gallo, Salvador Gatto, Manuel Giunnini, Guerino
Giuzzio, Gerardo Hebilla H., L.A. Mac hi, Humberto Nocetti, Estan- lslao Noveillo, Nicolas Panzardi, Pereyru Ramon, Aquiles Raynoic.;-.s, Rodolfo Resquin, Angel A.del Rio, Eduardo 3carabine, Gerardo °forza, Miguel Telesca, Julio ’Yasermann. " - 8 - IV.
"LA NACION", February 2Qth, 1954.
Monseigneur D5VOTO speaks of the treatment of prisoners.
"In view of the scanty resources of this country and the enormous number of prisoners, greatly exceeding the total of the Paraguayan army at the beginning of the war, there can be nothing but admiration for the results achieved through the humanitarian efforts made by the Paraguayan authorities.
f,We have had an opportunity to inspect the rations and found that they were the same as are issued to Paraguayan soldiers.
Further, in order that the food might be more to their taste, arrangements were made for the cooking to be done by Bolivians.
Many prisoners, indeed, are raggedly clad, but how could means be improvised for clothing 10,000 men who arrived at the sametime?
The morale of the prisoners differs from one camp to another, i'ftiere they are required to perform a moderate amount of work, as in the Botanical Gardens camp, the morale is excellent. I had an opportunity to watch the prisoners returning from work at midday and admired their cheerful attitude. The opposite is the case where they are kept in a state of idleness interrupted only by sorce form of amusement. We therefore think that work in moderation would be of real benefit from the standpoint both of the bodily health and the cheerfulness of all the prisoners.
Many of them, moreover, would have opportunities to learn useful things and also to free themselves from feelings of hatred which will always be the chief obstacle in the way of that peace which
all desire.”