723.2515/710: Telegram
The Ambassador in Chile (Shea) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received January 27—12:25 a.m.]
16. According to a confidential telegram from Mathieu39 which the Minister of Foreign Affairs showed me Tuesday, the Ambassador had just conferred with the Department, and had been given substantially the following information:
The persistent statements coming from Peru that the United States intended to espouse Peru’s cause against Chile were somewhat annoying to the Department; the Department had advised Ambassador Pezet that this was not the intention of the United States and that the Peruvian people should not be encouraged in this belief; unless invited by both parties, the United States would not interfere in the matter.
The press a few days later published a statement as made by Secretary Colby on the east coast of South America, expressing the friendly attitude of the United States toward the Republics of South America, and the policy of the former not to interfere unless invited to do so. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and I talked over the whole situation, and I decided, in view of the approaching naval visit,40 to issue the following statement:
The declaration that the press attributes to the Secretary of State to the effect that, unless requested, the United States will not attempt to intervene in the Tacna–Arica question, tendering its good [Page 239] offices to both interested Governments, is wholly in accord with the traditional policy of the United States. This policy, which has been frequently affirmed by the Government of the United States, is one of absolute impartiality, and was recently stated in the exchange of notes between the Embassy of the United States and the Government of Chile.41
- Beltran Mathieu, Chilean Ambassador at Washington.↩
- Visit of the United States Pacific Fleet to Valparaiso.↩
- Apparently refers to the notes of Mar. 30 and 31, 1920, quoted in the Ambassador’s telegram of Mar. 31, Foreign Relations, 1920, vol. i, p. 338.↩