Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1926, Volume I

723.2515/2269: Telegram

The Ambassador in Chile (Collier) to the Secretary of State

Santiago, May 9, 1926—5 p.m.
[Received May 10—3:07 a.m.]

147. The following is text of material parts of the note referred to in my telegram number 146:⁸¹

I had the honor to address to you a note on May 3rd; in which I referred to the impression which seems to exist in Chile that the Arbitrator in the Tacna and Arica question has shown a disposition to abandon his award, and that the Government of the United States of America is seeking to force Chile, against its will, to accept a settlement under good offices.

In that note I pointed out how unfortunate in its effects, not only upon the plebiscitary proceedings and the proceedings under good offices but also on the general relations of, the people of the United States and Chile, is this erroneous impression as to the attitude and motives of the United States. I said this is due to popular ignorance of facts as to which nation made the first suggestion of good offices and as to the subsequent development of that idea; and I brought to Your Excellency’s attention certain facts which had occurred before the time when Your Excellency assumed charge of the Ministry over which you so worthily presided, and also prior to the assumption of the Executive power by His Excellency the present President of Chile. I will not trouble you by repeating those facts in this note, but I will ask Your Excellency to refer to them and consider them as if embodied herein.

I particularly referred to the memorandum handed to me on October 27th, 1925, by Señor Barros Jarpa, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, in which he said among other things: (here was inserted the original Spanish text of which the English translation was cabled to you in my 108, October 28, 1925,⁸² second paragraph of first section).

This memorandum may be considered the first of the series of memoranda which were exchanged upon this subject. On March 27, 1926, the Ministry over which you so worthily preside, made the first publication in this matter by giving to the press the memorandum of the Secretary of State, which I had the honor of handing to Your Excellency on February 17th,⁸³ and you also gave publicity to your answer to that memorandum.⁸⁴ Thereafter the Secretary of State gave out memoranda which were exchanged a month or so later.⁸⁵

In order to correct the erroneous fomentation [sic] harmful popular impression to which I have referred, it now seems desirable that the memorandum of Señor Barros Jarpa of October 27th, which virtually initiated the movement of good offices, should also be published.

Bearing in mind that this memorandum was written by Señor Barros Jarpa when Minister of Foreign Affairs, but shortly after he had returned from Arica where he had spent two months as assessor to the Chilean delegation, and that it was based in part upon his observations and experience while in the plebiscitary region; and also bearing in mind the activity of the Chilean delegate upon the Plebiscitary Commission, Mr. Augustin Edwards, in developing and in advocating in the months of November, December, and January, the creation of an independent state as the most practicable solution; and bearing in mind the subsequent prompt acceptance by Chile of the offer of good offices which was finally made by the Secretary of State in February and the equally prompt acceptance of his later memorandum in which the offer was virtually renewed; I feel sure that Your Excellency will agree with me in my declaration that instead of good offices having been forced on Chile by the United States, the Chilean Government was the first to suggest it and to accept it. Moreover, through responsible officials connected either with its Plebiscitary Commission or its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it advocated and even urged a settlement by means of good offices at least until the 25th of March, 1926.

Despite many insinuations and intimations (which seemed very much like implied requests) made in October, November, December, and January that the United States should offer its good offices, the Secretary of State invariably replied that he was unwilling to make the offer but that, if both Chile and Peru requested it, he would be disposed to consider their request favorably.

When the offer was finally made in February, it was because the insinuations and intimations that had been made to the Government of the United States caused it to believe that both nations would be disposed to accept the good offices and that possibly they thought that in this way there might be found a quicker, a happier, a more satisfactory, and a more permanent solution of the Tacna-Arica question than by the plebiscite, which whatever may be its juridical merits, has already shown itself a means of increasing rather than decreasing, at least temporarily, racial and national passions and hatred.

I avail myself of this opportunity, et cetera.

Collier

81. Supra.
82. Not printed.
83. See telegram No. 10, Feb. 16, to the Ambassador in Chile, p. 298.
84. See telegram No. 22, Feb. 19, from the Ambassador in Chile, p. 305.
85. On March 27 the Department of State made public memoranda quoted in telegrams No. 20, Mar. 11, to the Ambassador in Chile, p. 327; No. 36, Mar. 16, from the Ambassador in Chile, p. 332; and No. 30, Mar. 25, to the Ambassador in Chile, p. 350.