Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1926, Volume I

723.2515/2052: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Collier)³²

Washington, March 25, 1926—6 p.m.

30. Please deliver immediately to the Minister of Foreign Affairs the following memorandum:

“I am instructed by the Secretary of State to refer to his correspondence with the Government of Chile on the subject of good offices, and particularly to the memorandum handed to me by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on March 16th³³ in which it was stated that the Government of Chile had not altered its disposition to accept the good offices of the United States in the form indicated in the previous memorandum of the Secretary of State dated March 11th.³⁴ The Secretary of State welcomes the acceptance by the Government of Chile of the good offices of the United States as a new evidence of the desire of the Government of Chile sincerely to seek an adjustment of its differences with the Government of Peru concerning the provinces of Tacna and Arica. In view of this acceptance of good offices as heretofore offered by the United States, and in view of the acceptance by the Government of Peru of the same offer of good offices, the Secretary of State desires me to suggest that, pursuant to the terms of the offer, appropriate steps should be at once taken by the Plebiscitary Commission looking to a suspension of the plebiscitary proceedings, without prejudice to their resumption if it should later appear that the differences between the two countries are not susceptible of adjustment other than by the celebration of a plebiscite; it being understood that pending the consideration of any adjustment other than by the celebration of a plebiscite the authority of the Plebiscitary Commission and the general arrangement made by it for the holding of a plebiscite under the terms of the award shall be maintained unimpaired. The Secretary of State, therefore, wishes to inquire whether the Government of Chile will not forthwith issue to its delegate on the Plebiscitary Commission appropriate authority and instructions to cooperate in taking the steps referred to. The Secretary of State further inquires whether the Government of Chile will authorize representatives on its behalf to enter into negotiations at Washington with representatives of Peru similarly authorized, the good offices of the United States with respect to such negotiations being exercised by and through the Secretary of State. Identical inquiries are being simultaneously submitted by the Secretary of State to the Government of Peru.”

Kellogg

32. On the same date a similar telegram was sent to the Ambassador in Peru (see infra); the substance of these telegrams was telegraphed at the same time to General Lassiter at Arica, latter telegram not printed.
33. See telegram No. 36, Mar. 16, from the Ambassador in Chile, p. 332.
34. See telegram No. 20, Mar. 11, to the Ambassador in Chile, p. 327.