723.2515/367: Telegram
The Ambassador in Argentina (Stimson) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 14 (?), 1.12 a.m.]
My December 11, 1 p.m. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has read to me this morning the note of the Chilean Government to Argentina, replying to its offer of good offices. It is the same as [Page 138] that contained in the instructions shown to me previously by the Chilean Minister.
The Chilean Government in its reply by mail claims that the offer of Argentina exceeded that of the United States in two points: First, that it made a present and actual proffer of services, not a statement to the effect that the Government stood ready to offer its services, and, second, that it offered mediation instead of good offices.
Doctor Pueyrredon assures me that this is not the case; that the term good offices and not the term mediation was used by him and that there consequently has been either a mistranslation of his cable or a misunderstanding and to prove this he read to me his actual telegram showing me that it was identical in terminology with the note of President Wilson to Chile and Peru.
The Chilean note further asks what the precise scope of the discussion is to be in the event that it should be entered upon. It is evident that the Chilean Government, as the newspapers state, would like to try to limit Argentina’s offer merely to the recent disturbances in Iquique and the other towns and under any circumstances to the treaty of Ancon and its interpretation and durability. The Minister stated that he agreed with what he supposed were the views of the United States Government, namely, that this was not sufficient and that the root of this cancer which has so long menaced South America must be cut out. …
The Minister for Foreign Affairs desires to delay his answer to Chile until I receive further instructions from the Department, as to the scope which the United States believes should be given to the discussion, and as to the method of common action, whether by the offer of good offices, actual mediation or otherwise. He informed me this morning that the Argentine Government is simply desirous of approval [of] the United States in this entire matter and gave me to understand that he had said as much to the Chilean Minister.