724.3415/3960b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina (Weddell)
70. The Department was given last night by the Bolivian Minister a copy of the reply addressed by the Government of Bolivia to the Argentine Government.12
Please obtain an interview with Dr. Saavedra Lamas at the earliest opportunity and advise him that this Government would appreciate having his views concerning this reply. You should state that we are addressing a similar inquiry to the Government of Brazil.
In your conversation you may say that while, of course, the reply is not as satisfactory as could have been hoped for, this Government nevertheless believes that a favorable opportunity is now presented for pressing forward with the conciliation formula.
The Minister of Bolivia in Washington has given it as his personal opinion that the reply should be construed as an acceptance in principle of the Argentine proposal and this Government believes that it would be helpful to consider it as such. It is hoped that Dr. Saavedra Lamas will see no objection to agreeing to the request made by Bolivia that Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, and Cuba be invited by Argentina, Brazil and the United States to join with these three governments in presenting and in supporting the conciliation formula [Page 158] of Dr. Saavedra Lamas. It would seem that this step would not only be in accord with the opinion already expressed to us by the Argentine and Brazilian Governments, but that it would at once rally to the support of the conciliation formula the continental public opinion desired by Dr. Saavedra Lamas as indicated in his recent messages to this Government. Such general support of the conciliation formula would have a very great moral weight. Compliance with this request of the Bolivian Government would also unquestionably have a calming effect upon public opinion in Bolivia.
If Dr. Saavedra Lamas coincides with this belief as above expressed, it is hoped that he will be willing to make the utmost endeavors to obtain the consent of Paraguay, and in such event, the American Minister in Asunción will be instructed to support most earnestly such representations.
With regard to the additional request of Bolivia that the Argentine Goverment ascertain whether the Government of Paraguay would be willing to agree upon more concrete bases of conciliation, specifying as one of them that the right of Bolivia to a zone along the River Paraguay from Bahía Negra south be recognized, in the opinion of this Government it would seem to be very clear that these points are precisely those which should be taken up for the most ample and careful consideration in the conciliation conversations and it is suggested that if the nations above mentioned accept the invitation to participate in presenting the conciliation formula to Bolivia, they might then appropriately be requested to join in urging upon Bolivia the desirability of instructing the Bolivian plenipotentiaries in the conciliation proceedings to present these points as representing the Bolivian point of view. All of the Governments involved might further appropriately state that the Bolivian Government’s requests will, of course, be given the most friendly consideration during the conciliation proceedings.
In conclusion please state to Dr. Saavedra Lamas that the views above expressed are transmitted to him confidentially and that no official intimation will be given to the Government of Bolivia of the attitude of the Government of the United States with regard to the Bolivian reply until after we have had the fullest opportunity for consultation with Argentina and Brazil.
- See supra.↩