723.2515/3312: Telegram
The Ambassador in Chile (Culbertson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:40 p.m.]
46. Your 33, March 21, 11 a.m. [noon]. The Foreign Minister is heartily in favor of a joint declaration of settlement to be given publicity. He will, as I have stated, accept the declaration quoted in my 43, March 17, 8 a.m. [p.m.], or he will accept the following shorter declaration which we drafted in conference:15 [Page 755]
“Chile and Peru have settled the Tacna-Arica question and the following provisions are the principal features of the settlement:
- 1.
- The Boundary between Chile and Peru will be fixed parallel to the Arica-La Paz railroad and 10 kilometers, more or less, north of it.
- 2.
- Fortifications will be removed from the Morro promontory and a monument will be erected there in commemoration of the permanent peace established between the two countries and the promontory will be converted into a public park.
- 3.
- A separate port for Tacna located at or north of Escritos will be constructed at the expense of Chile. Chilean and Peruvian engineers are now consulting on the exact location of this port and on its cost and when Chile and Peru have agreed on these two remaining points the final settlement will be embodied in a formal treaty and the Presidents of the two countries will unite in dedicating the peace monument on the Morro promontory.”
The above declaration was telegraphed to the Chilean Ambassador in Peru with instructions to obtain the approval of President Leguia to its publication or, failing this, to inquire what modifications in the declaration would make it acceptable to Peru. The Foreign Minister strongly urges that you also submit this declaration to President Leguia tomorrow morning, either through the Peruvian Ambassador in the United States or the American Ambassador in Peru.
- Quotation not paraphrased.↩