724.3415/302: Telegram
The Paraguayan Minister for Foreign Affairs (Zubizarreta) to the Chairman of the International Conference of American States on Conciliation and Arbitration (Kellogg)
[Received December 17—11:30 a.m.]
I reply to the despatch with which your Excellency has honored me to transmit to me the offer of the good offices of the Pan-American Conference on Arbitration. At the moment when this Government was considering your Excellency’s message and giving to it the weight of its high significance Bolivia invades our territory with numerous troops, attacks our vigilance posts and outposts by surprise and without previous notice of war, and bombards with airplanes our military positions. That is how Bolivia responds to the recommendation made to both countries that they do not commit acts which might aggravate the situation and obstruct the peace measures. All this, your Excellency, under the excuse that my country owes it reparations. Paraguay hastened to offer that a trial be opened before an impartial tribunal; it asked the facts of the conflict be investigated as an indispensable step for rendering a decision. Then it would have been in order to ascertain responsibilities and fix punishment. This measure of good sense Bolivia attempts to replace with a prior condemnation of the conduct of my country. Bolivia asks that Paraguay be condemned before being tried and this absurdity stirs the honest conscience [Page 697] of my people. Peace is well worth another effort which might be added to those already made by my country to preserve same. This is how my Government understands it and although the previous and present attitude of Bolivia does not warrant any hopes it has instructed me to transmit its acceptance of the good offices offered by the Conference declaring loyally that it has ordered the mobilization of the army although as a simple defensive measure because the grave circumstances created by the conduct of Bolivia so demand it. I believe I fulfill a duty in informing that Conference that the illustrious Executive of the Argentine nation being deeply concerned about the situation created, offered his mediation which my Government hastened to accept and to which Bolivia has not assented until now.