724.3415/3960a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil (Gibson)
90. Please advise the Minister for Foreign Affairs that this Government received last night from the Bolivian Minister in Washington [Page 159] a copy of the reply sent by the Bolivian Government to the Argentine proposal for the settlement of the Chaco dispute.
Please state that this Government would welcome at the earliest possible opportunity such observations as the Brazilian Government may be good enough to send it concerning this matter.
You may state that we believe it would be very helpful if the request of the Bolivian Government that Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, and Cuba be invited to join with Argentina, Brazil, and the United States in presenting this formula to the Bolivian Government be acceded to. It is felt that the cooperation of these important nations of this continent in supporting this move for peace would coincide with the views previously expressed to the Argentine Government by both Brazil and the United States and that the beneficial effect of the moral support of these additional countries would be very great. It would further have the helpful effect of calming public opinion in Bolivia and in making easier an unreserved acceptance of the peace proposal by the Bolivian Government.
If the Brazilian and the Argentine Governments were to share our views in the matter, it is believed that the Argentine Government might well urge the acceptance of this proposal upon Paraguay and the Brazilian and American Ministers in Asunción should in that event be instructed to support such representations.
In the latter portion of the Bolivian reply the Bolivian Government requests the Argentine Government to inquire whether Paraguay would support more concrete bases for conciliation, mentioning specifically the recognition of the right of Bolivia to a zone of territory along the River Paraguay from Bahía Negra south. It would seem that these questions might more appropriately be dealt with in the proposed conciliation conversations, and if all the governments above mentioned agree to support the conciliation formula, it might well be suggested to them that all of the nations concerned unite in urging upon Bolivia that these matters might more appropriately be dealt with in the conciliation conference at which time all of the friendly nations involved would, of course, make every effort to see that all reasonable and fair proposals offered by Bolivia should be given the most ample and friendly consideration.
In conclusion please state to the Minister for Foreign Affairs that we are likewise consulting with the Argentine Government and that we will give no official intimation of any views held by this Government to Bolivia until after we have had the benefit of receiving such observations as Brazil and Argentina may make to us.