724.3415/335: Telegram
The Ambassador in Brazil (Morgan) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 4—12:30 a.m.]
2. Embassy’s telegram 1, January 2, 4 p.m.12 I have received this afternoon the following note from the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“Rio de Janeiro, January 2nd, 1929.
Excellency: I acknowledge the receipt of note No. 1404 of today’s date wherein Your Excellency informs me of the communication which the Secretary of State of the United States of America as chairman of the Conference of Conciliation and Arbitration now convened at Washington requested you to transmit me.13
It is proposed to constitute a Commission composed of nine members, five of which are to be designated by the Governments of five American states to wit: Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Uruguay, and the United States, two by each of the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay. The Commission shall have no powers to take up the question of boundary between Paraguay and Bolivia. The resulting protocol shall not affect the boundary question itself nor shall it affect or modify any existing agreements. The Commission shall only verify in the serious incident which recently occurred in the disputed territory which of the two countries in disagreement brought about a change in the peaceful relations between them, place the responsibilities and determine if necessary the steps which shall be taken to avoid a recurrence of hostilities. A period of six months which may be extended has been prescribed for the work of the Commission which will be installed in Washington. His Excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America would like to know if my Government would be disposed to designate at the earliest opportunity a representative to serve on the said Commission.
Were there not, Mr. Ambassador, as regards Brazil, the entirely special conditions which I hereafter mention, the Brazilian Government, which has not spared nor will it spare efforts towards the maintenance of peace, would accept immediately the honor which it is intended to confer upon it. Being bounded, however, as it is bounded, by the very territory where the incident took place, having [Page 832] just negotiated in the most perfect cordiality both with Paraguay and Bolivia boundary treaties which are at the present time going through constitutional procedure, and as either one or the other might have a reaction upon the territory in question, Brazil does not conceal the scruples which render impossible for her to accept any function as a judge of a case in which it might be argued, however unjustly, that she had any interest direct or indirect, immediate or remote. Other states which in this respect are free, as Brazil would like to be, can bring to a successful conclusion the undoubtedly beneficent task which it is planned to realize. They can, through their delegates, count not only upon the sincere wishes but also upon the full collaboration that Brazil may be able to contribute in the circumstances explained for the success of the high mission which they are called upon to discharge.
Accept Excellency et cetera.”