723.2515/1613: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Arica (Von Tresckow)
For Pershing: Your telegram of September 13. The Department appreciates efforts you are making to arrange for fair and free plebiscite and has utmost confidence in your judgment and that you will accomplish all that is possible under the very trying and disheartening conditions which confront you.
We must realize that ideal conditions cannot be obtained; that we can only strive to approximate as nearly as may be practicable and not be inconsistent with terms of the award.
You realize, of course, how unfortunate it would be were the Commission to be compelled to withdraw without carrying out its mission, and I hope that the Chilean authorities will be brought to see that interests of Chile demand the plebiscite be held in manner which will convince world that Chile can be relied on to fulfill spirit as well as letter of her international agreements and to accord justice and fair play to her opponents.