723.2515/1972: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Peru (Poindexter)
18. Please deliver at once to the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs the following memorandum.
“I am instructed by the Secretary of State to acknowledge the receipt of the memorandum by the President of Peru10 which the Secretary of State understands to be a rejection by the Government of Peru at this juncture of the offer of good offices by the United States for the friendly adjustment outside the terms of the award of the existing differences between Peru and Chile concerning the provinces of Tacna and Arica and to indicate that the Government of Peru prefers the solution by plebiscite under the conditions provided in the award. The Secretary of State feels certain that the Government of Peru fully appreciates that this offer was made by him in the sincere belief that the renewed effort to adjust the differences in this way would serve the interests of both countries and furnish a reasonable opportunity for the restoration of amicable relations between them.
The Secretary deeply regrets the inability of the Government of Peru to avail itself of such tender of good offices at this time. I am further instructed by the Secretary of State to say that the suggestion contained in the second paragraph of the memorandum by the President of Peru is not acceptable to the United States. The Secretary of State authorizes me to say that if the Government of Peru should later take a different view and desire to avail itself of the good offices of the United States, the offer may be regarded as open for considereration.”
You may state orally to the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, that Chile had accepted the tender.