724.3415/3521: Telegram (part air)
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 12—8:35 a.m.]
158. Consulate’s 142, June 8, 11 a.m., paragraph 3.48 Bolivia has formally requested that the consideration of the dispute under article [Page 70] 15 be referred to the Assembly. This is construed, however, as not preventing the continuation of Council action under article 11 pending the convening of the Assembly.
The legal section of the Secretariat is considering whether the dispute may be placed directly on the agenda of the League or whether prior action by the Council is necessary. Bolivia may endeavor to have called an extraordinary session of the Council for this purpose.
League authorities will endeavor to avoid the convocation of an extraordinary session of the Assembly. The presumption now is that the questions will be brought before the ordinary session in September.
It would appear to me that the underlying reason for Bolivia’s referring the dispute to the Assembly is to ensure its consideration by body comprising a large number of Latin American states rather than by the Council which Bolivia regards as being dominated in Latin American matters by Argentina.