724.3415/4439: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 21—2:30 p.m.]
396. 1. Advisory Committee on the Chaco terminated its session today. Its report has not yet been issued but an official of the Secretariat has shown me the draft in French. In the report the Committee records briefly the following points:
- (a)
- —took note of the Brazilian reply (Consulate’s 393, December 19, 5 p.m.)
- (b)
- —authorize[d] the Secretary General “for the present” to maintain contact with me.
- (c)
- —considered the Paraguayan observations on the Assembly’s recommendations and drafted the reply quoted in my 394, December 21, 10 a.m.
- (d)
- —took note of a statement made yesterday before the Committee by the Bolivian representative urging that the arms embargo against Bolivia be raised.
- (e)
- —discussed the British note concerning infractions of the embargo (Consulate’s 395, December 21, 11 a.m.)91 and noted statements of Chile and Uruguay waiving responsibility in regard to transit of arms.
- (f)
- —decided to meet on January 14 to draft a report and to consider the attitude of the parties on that date to the Assembly’s recommendations and what effect such attitude might have on the situation, particularly as regards the arms embargo.
2. From other sources I have been informed that Russia and Czechoslovakia in yesterday’s meeting designated Paraguay’s reply as a flat rejection and urged immediate decisions. The Latin-Americans led by Argentina took the position that Paraguay’s response was an “interim reply” and left the door open for further consideration.
I am likewise informed that in today’s meeting the discussion centered around the embargo. The Italian delegate said that his Government had never favored the placing of an embargo indiscriminately against both parties but had consented to participation in the embargo action because of uncertainty as to the responsibilities of the parties [Page 135] but now that the question of responsibility was clearer and would be still clearer on January 14 he urged the Committee at its next meeting to direct the embargo solely against the responsible party. This attitude was supported by France, Russia and Poland, France stating that the Covenant must be strictly applied. The British representative was less direct in his statements but appeared to acquiesce.
The Latin-American delegates took little part in the embargo discussion except that Chile and Uruguay declined responsibility as to transit.
I learn that the Latin-Americans feel that Paraguay is playing for time in order to gain possession of the oil fields in the Chaco.
- Not printed.↩