File No. 763.72119/384
The Minister in Peru ( McMillin ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9.15 p.m.]
Department’s circular of 20th December, my despatch December 26.1 I received last night following from Peruvian Minister for Foreign Affairs:
Mr. Minister: It has been an honor to me to receive your excellency’s note of December 20 last. …
I have read with the greatest care and have made known to the President of the Republic the important communication of the Honorable Mr. Lansing, which reveals at first sight the noble motive that has inspired it. My Government, on being acquainted with it, makes the most sincere wishes that the initiative of President Wilson may produce the results sought with regard to the reestablishment of peace, and holds the idea of the American Government and people on the necessity of procuring, if possible, the future tranquillity of the world and is firm in the interest manifested for the means that urgently must be adopted to free the smallest and weakest nations from the danger of injustice and violence to which they are exposed. The moment having arrived which the [Government of the United States] considers opportune to give practical form to those very noble purposes, which after reestablishing normal conditions will tend toward the reign of peace by justice, Peru will lend to them her most active sympathy, consistent with its traditions and with the sound doctrines to whose service she has always put her most devoted efforts.
May your excellency deign to transmit to your Government the gratefulness of mine for the very valuable information which it has been pleased to give; and accept [etc.] E. de la [Riva] Aguero.
[For the circular telegram of February 3, 1917, 1 p.m., instructing the diplomatic representatives in neutral countries to notify the governments to which they were accredited of the severance of relations with Germany and to say that the President “believes that it will make for the peace of the world if the other” neutral powers can find it possible to take similar action,” see ante, page 108.]
- Despatch not printed.↩