723.2515/1711: Telegram
The Ambassador in Chile (Collier) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 3—12:30 p.m.]
126.
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I saw Minister for Foreign Affairs on Monday afternoon and expressed to him your regret and resentment over publication in Chilean press of articles impugning motives of Arbitrator and his representatives and calculated to inflame ill-feeling. I read paraphrase of your telegram No. 76.77 Minister expressed regret and said that Edwards’ speech had been given to press by former [latter?] without consulting Minister, and that he first learned of it by telegram from Edwards stating that when General Pershing first requested him not to publish speech, Edwards replied it had already been given to Buenos Aires papers. Minister said he had begun cable to Edwards disapproving action and requesting not to publish in Santiago papers, but before he had finished he was shown copy of Santiago evening paper belonging to Edwards containing Edwards’ speech. Minister said he then cabled Edwards his regret at publication, but mentioned inutility of instructions under circumstances.
The Minister continued that some days before he had called director of the Edwards’ press to the Ministry and had requested discontinuance of articles against Pershing and the United States and had stated that as Edwards was on the Commission articles such as these were especially embarrassing to the Chilean Government [Page 424] and made Edwards’ position almost untenable. I asked whether, in view of the unauthorized publication of Edwards’ speech since then, he would remain on the Commission. The Minister replied that he hardly dared remove him, his influence was so great. He added in a joking way that if the United States would remove General Pershing, Chile would withdraw Mr. Edwards; that both men had become nervous and irritable.
I replied that General Pershing enjoyed your confidence, had given out no speeches, and had not impugned the motives of the Chilean head of the State. Minister replied that on the contrary General Pershing at session of Commission on November 21 had made a speech, admittedly prepared before Commission had received Edwards’ note of that date,78 in which Chilean authorities, even the highest, were charged by General Pershing with fraud and violence, imputing base motives to all, including Edwards. I said that this speech had not been given to press. Minister admitted that it had not, but said he was going to send copy of speech to the Embassy as perhaps Pershing had not communicated it to you, and that it was such an unwarranted document and so clearly showed that General Pershing had no intention of even registering the voters and holding plebiscite, that Edwards’ speech of November 28 had been inspired by it. …
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- The last paragraph of the Secretary’s telegram of Nov. 27, 9 p.m., to the consul at Arica, p. 420, was telegraphed to Ambassador Collier as Department’s telegram No. 76.↩
- Neither printed; for substance of speech, see penultimate paragraph of telegram of Nov. 22, 8 p.m., from the consul at Arica, p. 415; for substance of letter, see first paragraph of the same telegram.↩