723.2515/2003: Telegram
The Ambassador in Chile (Collier) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:05 p.m.]
30. Cruchaga was unanimously confirmed as Ambassador today.13 This is supposed to assure a representative in Washington heartily in [Page 323] sympathy with present Government’s determination to secure a fair plebiscite.
[Paraphrase.] Mathieu called me to his office today and said that he was much disturbed by reports from Arica that Mr. Freyre, the Peruvian delegate, had asked for, or will ask for an indefinite postponement of proceedings until atmosphere more favorable to Peru exists. Mathieu feels that this request is equivalent to demand by Peru that the plebiscite be postponed until Peru is sure that she can win. In his opinion the Peruvians are in the minority, so that Peru has all the time been seeking to avoid the plebiscite instead of participating in it. He said that the feeling among the Chilean populace over the protracted delay that has taken place is such that it will be nearly humanly impossible to prevent an outbreak. It is difficult at best, he said, to prevent one, bearing in mind antipathy of resident Chilean white population to submit to a Peruvian sovereignty which would be won by a large block of radicals containing a large colored element.
Naturally I am not as conversant with situation as Lassiter is; but it is my personal opinion, which of course I have not revealed to Government here, that if Peru’s request for a postponement be denied, the Peruvian Government may be inclined in that event to accept new tender of good offices.
Government of Chile feels that to compel departure of persons from province who are not now holding any official position simply for the reason that they are acquainted with the voters and have influence over them, is wholly improper and is a denial of right Chile has to present her case through any lawful agency; and that consistency would require that a large number of persons who are campaigning for Peru be expelled. There has been tension here during the last few days.
If ever the time comes when we have to discontinue the plebiscite, alleging that blame for doing so rests on Chile, I hope that we can put it on ground of her inability to control the people of the plebiscitary territory rather than to charge a breach of faith against the Chilean Government; and I hope likewise that reasons given in resolution for discontinuance will not be such as to cause those unfriendly to us throughout Latin America to start a concerted campaign against us and to make invidious allusions to electoral practices in our southern States by which the negroes are deprived of their constitutional rights of suffrage. There have already been insinuations of an unpleasant nature to that effect.
I continue to impress upon Chilean Government necessity for fairness as well as of order. [End paraphrase.]
- Miguel Cruchaga Tocornal, Chilean Ambassador at Washington.↩