File No. 763.72112/433
No. 100]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Peruvian Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Gazzani) to the American Minister (McMillin)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru presents his compliments to
his excellency, the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
of the
[Page 442]
United States of
America, and has the honor to enclose for transmission to the State
Department a memorandum relative to the urgency of an agreement
between the republics of the American Continent intended to reduce
the great injuries which their foreign trade suffers through the
hostilities undertaken by the warships of the belligerent nations of
Europe on the American coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans.
Peru, which is one of the nations most directly injured and whose
coasts have been the first on which hostile actions have taken
place, would feel obliged if the Government of the United States
would give this matter a preferent and favorable consideration,
granting to the same its valuable support, without which it would
not be possible to reach the desired solution or enforce respect for
the same on the belligerent parties.
As on this point it is only desired to come to an agreement in good
faith that will be reciprocally advantageous, the memorandum has
been communicated by cable to the Governments of the Argentine,
Brazilian, and Chilean Republics with the suggestion that, in the
event of its receiving a favorable reception, they should give
instructions to their respective diplomatic representatives in
Washington to discuss the subject there.
J. Fernando Gazzani
takes this opportunity [etc.]
Lima,
November 6, 1914.
[Subenclosure—Translation]
The Peruvian Minister for
Foreign Affairs to the American
Legation
Memorandum
The vicissitudes suffered by maritime commerce in South America since
the beginning of the present European war suggest the necessity of
putting an end to the constant interruptions which they produce, and
which inflict enormous injuries upon the economic interests of the
American Republics, careful always to observe the strictest
neutrality.
Commercial traffic along the South American coasts is carried on
chiefly in English and German vessels. The latter suspended their
voyages at the very beginning of the war, while English ships have
had to submit to repeated interruptions, resulting in the total
suspension of the import and export trade of some countries, among
them being Peru.
This intolerable situation was due to the energy with which the naval
forces of the belligerent powers have carried their hostilities even
into these regions so remote from the theater of war, thereby
causing more inconvenience and injury to neutrals than effective
damage to the contending parties. Besides the fact that there has
been relatively little destruction of merchant vessels on the
Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America, no real loss has even
resulted therefrom to the shipowners, who are protected by special
insurance; so that the injurious effects may be said to have fallen
only upon the neutrals.
Such a situation cannot possibly continue. Wars, while still
considered a necessary evil, have a radius of action limited by the
interests of neutrals, which are obviously more worthy of respect
than are those of the belligerents in destroying and ruining one
another. Hostilities are justified as an unavoidable necessity in
order to paralyze the offensive action of the enemy and escape the
injury which may result from it; but hostilities are not tolerable
which have no influence on the final outcome of the war, especially
when they injure neutrals primarily and seriously and the
belligerents only secondarily and Slightly.
The modern idea of the independence of nations and of the respect due
their commercial interests insures to them the inviolability of
these interests not only within their own territory but also in what
may be called their traffic zones, through which their commerce is
fed and sustained, especially if, as in the present case, a separate
continent is in question. It is inconceivable that a region not
subject to the political action or influence of the belligerents,
and where the struggle chiefly jeopardizes neutral interests, should
be the scene of an armed conflict. This is the reason for the
localization of wars, which has always been brought about either
through the action of the parties themselves or through outside
pressure confining them within the limits of the belligerent
countries, and thereby preventing the possibility that the extension
of hostilities may affect interests involving other nations in the
struggle. Neutral powers have always sought and obtained this
localization of war since the middle of the nineteenth century.
[Page 443]
In the present European war, which has unfortunately already been
extended to Asia, it is not admissible that America, and especially
South America, should also become a battlefield. The American
countries are not bound up with the European nations either
politically or by reason of their interests. The hospitality which
they systematically accord to everything from abroad which may
contribute to their advancement and development can not be extended
to the point of permitting the coasts of the American Continent to
be used for the maintenance of a permanent system of persecution of
merchant vessels and for an intermittent and sterile struggle which
benefits no one and injures all.
For this reason the Peruvian Government believes that the time has
come for making felt the joint action of all the American Republics
to guarantee the inviolability of their trade routes by freeing them
throughout their extent from the effects of the hostilities of the
belligerent naval forces. An agreement to this effect, asserting
that America will not permit its commerce within the maritime area
corresponding to the continent (which area may be considered marked
by a line equidistant from the other continents on both the Pacific
and the Atlantic sides) to be subject to the contingencies of the
present European war, would afford a sufficient guarantee to
mitigate at least in part the consequences of the crisis which has
already begun to be felt very acutely, and it would enforce respect
for the interests affected, such respect not seeming thus far to
have entered the minds of the belligerent powers.
It is permissible to suppose that such an attitude would not be
regarded unfavorably by these powers themselves, since it would
benefit them likewise, by virtue of the guarantees which would be
granted to their merchant vessels, besides relieving them of the
obligation of detaching squadrons at such a distance to protect the
vessels of their nationality or to pursue those under the enemy’s
flag.
