723.2515/1587: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Arica (Von Tresckow)
For Pershing: Your telegram August 16, 8 a.m. I shall follow your suggestions strictly.
After I had received your telegram the Chilean Ambassador called at his own request. I made no reference to him about these specific matters. The Ambassador, however, said that he had heard rumors that the Arbitrator was going to order Chilean military forces out of Tacna and Arica, and that he thought that this action was not within Arbitrator’s authority. I replied that it was true that the Arbitrator had found that under Treaty of Ancon the sovereignty and control of Tacna and Arica were to remain with Chile during plebiscite, but that by this was not meant that Chile was to use that sovereign power or her military authority in any way to interfere with a fair and free election, and that in my opinion the President of the Plebiscitary Commission and the Commission had the authority to prevent any action, even of a sovereign nature, which would interfere with a fair and free election; that I had not received any request from you to act, but that if I had I should certainly back you up; that I was much disturbed by reports in the papers on conditions in Tacna and Arica; and that I hoped the Government of Chile would appreciate how important it was that there be no interference with proper elections. Ambassador Mathieu said that he expected us to support General Pershing if his actions were in accordance with his powers. I replied that I was confident that General Pershing had good lawyers, was well advised, and would not ask anything unreasonable.
I did not give him to understand that I had had complaints from you, but that I had gained many very disturbing things from press reports, and that I was not wholly satisfied with attitude of Chile. I thought this would put him on his guard and evidently it did.