New Belligerent

Land-locked Bolivia last week followed impatient Brazil into the war. The Bolivian Congress must still ratify a state-of-war decree issued by President Enrique Penaranda, but to all effects Bolivia became the second South American country at war with the Axis*

Militarily, Bolivia's move was of minor importance (she has fewer than 15,000 men in her standing army, plus perhaps 185,000 reserves). Diplomatically, the step was a victory for U.S. policy in Latin America, and the effect on the flow of important Bolivian supplies to the Allies may be substantial.

Said Chief of Staff General Antenor Ichazo: "The decree, in my opinion, will serve to revolutionize our economy." What this probably meant was that troops or mobilized civilians can be set to mining tin, tungsten, lead, copper, antimony, harvesting rubber, producing quinine, building roads. Labor for these enterprises has been scarce, and it has sometimes been both obstreperous and ill-treated. Mobilization presumably will not be a boon to Bolivian labor, but it may well increase production of Bolivian war material.

Bolivia has often dreamed of getting a corridor to the sea. Said Foreign Minister Tomas Manuel Elio: "Full entry into the war will simplify discussions at the peace table after the conflict has ended."

*No other South American republics are actually at war with the Axis, but all except neutral Argentina have broken diplomatic relations. Mexico and all other Central American republics are at war with Germany, Italy and Japan.

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