710.1012 Washington/67: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions in Latin America
Please deliver the following communication textually to the Minister for Foreign Affairs:
“I have the honor to invite Your Excellency’s attention to a resolution passed at the Sixth International Conference of American States at Habana, Cuba, on February 18, which reads as follows:
‘Resolution: The Sixth International Conference of American States resolves:
Whereas: The American Republics desire to express that they condemn war as an instrument of national policy in their mutual relations; and
Whereas: The American Republics have the most fervent desire to contribute in every possible manner to the development of international means for the pacific settlement of conflicts between States:
- 1.
- That the American Republics adopt obligatory arbitration as the means which they will employ for the pacific solution of their international differences of a juridical character.
- 2.
- That the American Republics will meet in Washington within the period of one year in a conference of conciliation and arbitration to give conventional form to the realization of this principle, with the minimum exceptions which they may consider indispensable to safeguard the independence and sovereignty [Page 638] of the States, as well as matters of a domestic concern, and to the exclusion also of matters involving the interest or referring to the action of a State not a party to the convention.
- 3.
- That the Governments of the American Republics will send for this end plenipotentiary jurisconsults with instructions regarding the maximum and the minimum which they would accept in the extension of obligatory arbitral jurisdiction.
- 4.
- That the convention or conventions of conciliation and arbitration which may be concluded should leave open a protocol for progressive arbitration which would permit the development of this beneficent institution up to its maximum.
- 5.
- That the convention or conventions which may be agreed upon, after signature, should be submitted immediately to the respective Governments for their ratification in the shortest possible time.’
As, under the terms of this resolution the Conference must be held within one year, it gives me great pleasure, in accordance therewith, to extend a cordial invitation to Your Excellency’s Government to participate in a conference on conciliation and arbitration to be held in Washington commencing on December 10, 1928.
While not desiring in any way to limit the discretion of the various countries as to their representation, I venture to suggest that each Government appoint two plenipotentiary jurisconsults, with such advisers and experts as they may desire, to represent it at this conference. In this connection I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that the United States will be represented at the said conference by the Secretary of State and the Honorable Charles Evans Hughes. (Signed) Frank B. Kellogg.”