723.2515/2072: Telegram
The Consul at Arica (Von Tresckow) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:45 p.m.]
From Lassiter. Situation simply cannot be allowed to drift as you suggest in your telegram of March 27, 10 a.m. Registration is now under way without Peru’s participation. She asserts she is obeying request of United States for suspension of plebiscite and that all registration now taking place is void. Chile is proceeding regularly to register her voters, and every day that we allow this farce to continue the more right will she have to protest against our inconsistent course should we later on put blame on her.
It is obvious that for present good offices are dead. Thing to do now is to liquidate this situation before we become entangled in worse embarrassment. Steps of program I propose are as follows:
- (1)
- You to cable Peru to notify Freyre that request to participate in suspension of plebiscite is annulled;
- (2)
- I to offer Freyre choice of proposing his own motion to terminate plebiscite, or else either to proceed with registration or to withdraw; I am sure that Freyre is entitled to have his choice and should not now be forced to withdraw.
Unless you carry out part (1) of this program there is absolute deadlock here, for I do not think that Freyre will budge as long as he is able to quote our request for suspension. Chile will steadily proceed with registration, of course.
[Page 357]I want to consult Freyre on this suggested program not later than morning of March 29, so that action can be taken that afternoon. Haste is necessary, I can assure you, and only possible way out of present most distressing dilemma is to terminate the plebiscite at once.
Please notify me of your instructions to Lima, so that I shall be able surely to arrange for meeting of the Commission on March 29.37
- Lassiter
- Von Tresckow