723.2515/1329
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Fletcher)
The Chilean Ambassador, accompanied by Mr. Carlos Castro Ruiz, Special Counselor of the Chilean Embassy, called upon me today to follow up our conversation of a few days since with regard to a settlement of the Tacna–Arica question. The Chilean Government desires, in effect, our mediation with Peru in this matter, and would be very glad if the Department could see its way clear to find out from [Page 245] the Peruvian Government whether it is disposed to settle this question on the bases of the Treaty of Ancon by proceeding to hold a plebiscite. If it is found that Peru is disposed to proceed with the plebiscite Chile will agree to almost any terms which seem fair to the Government of the United States, provided the question of sovereignty of these two provinces is definitively settled. The Ambassador promised to send me, informally and unofficially, the bases upon which the Chilean Government thinks the plebiscite should be held, and requests that the Department, on its own initiative, endeavor to discover from Peru how far these bases would be satisfactory to that Government, and what other suggestions Peru might have to make with regard to them. The Chilean Government hopes that in the event of a disagreement between the two governments on the question of the bases of the plebiscite it will be possible for us to use our good offices with both governments, in order that an agreement may be reached.
I was careful to point out to the Ambassador and Mr. Castro that our policy had been to take no action in this matter at the instance of one of the governments concerned which might be disagreeable to the other, but that I would lay the matter before the Secretary, and felt sure that they could rely upon the Department’s good-will and desire to assist in bringing about a settlement of this long standing dispute.
The interview lasted an hour and the question was discussed from many angles.
The Ambassador handed me a clipping (hereto attached),48 from which it appears that there is some doubt as to whether Peru would entertain the suggestion of a plebiscite, and he said that he feared that if Peru took that stand a settlement of the question would be impossible, as Chile could not consent to depart from the Treaty of Ancon.
- Not printed.↩