28 DECEMBER 1934, Page 2

The Chaco Conflict The dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay has

taken one of the turns such disputes so often do take. The military tide is flowing at the moment in Paraguay's favour, and in consequence or otherwise Bolivia accepts the League of Nations' proposals for the termination of the war and Paraguay makes difficulties about them. It is not yet certain whether these are due in part to a misunderstanding, and a further note from Paraguay will no doubt make that clear by the time the League Council meets again in January. If it is actually the fact that one belligerent accepts the League proposals and the other does not, there will be a strong case for varying the terms of the arms embargo and maintaining it against the State which refuses, while permitting arms to go normally to the State which accepts. How- ever that may be, it is essential, as the British Govern- ment has rightly insisted, that any embargo shall be strictly observed by the exporting nations. It is a little surprising to find Belgium and Norway apparently falling short of their undertakings in this respect, and it is not without relevance to other current discussions to note that it is from a State factory in Norway that arms are said to have been sent to South America in breach of the embargo undertaking.

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