824.01/60b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Philip)
30. The Chilean Counsellor of Embassy called at the Department today, acting under instructions from his Government, to discuss the Bolivian change of government and its effect upon the Chaco situation, especially as concerns the desirability of having the several mediatory countries approach the Bolivian Government in order to secure a reiteration by the Bolivian Foreign Office of the statement made by Colonel Busch that it was the intention of his Government to honor its international obligations.
You will please call on the Foreign Minister at an early moment and express to him the great appreciation of your Government for the opportunity to exchange views on this subject, thus following the desirable precedent created in the case of recognition of the present Government in Paraguay, as well as of the Toro Government in Bolivia. You may state that your Government is desirous of consulting with him and will be most appreciative of learning his views and intentions with respect to the note from the Bolivian Acting Foreign Minister and with respect to the desirability of recognizing the new Bolivian Government.
In the ensuing discussions you may state that it is the opinion of this Government that the statement issued by Colonel Busch at the time he assumed office, which has been reiterated by the Bolivian Minister here, fully covers the Bolivian intention to respect its international obligations, which would cover the Chaco protocols. Please make inquiry, however, as to the Minister’s opinion with regard to the stability of the new Government, its composition and authority, and the measure of popular support which it would seem to possess.
A somewhat similar instruction is being sent to the missions at Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo.19
- See telegram No. 57, July 19, 7 p.m., to the Ambassador in Argentina, supra.↩