724.3415/401
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs (Morgan) of a Conversation With the Paraguayan Chargé (Ramírez)
Dr. Ramírez informed me that he had received a reply from his Government with regard to the proposed exchange of prisoners with [Page 841] Bolivia. Paraguay suggests the town of Formosa in Argentina as the place for the exchange. Paraguay also requests to be informed as to the names of the Paraguayan prisoners in Bolivia. I asked Dr. Ramírez if he did not think this last request might lead to considerable unnecessary delay and further complicate the question without being of any great importance. He said they were anxious to find out whether any prisoners were missing, but I suggested that they could very quickly ascertain the names of the prisoners when they reached Formosa and discover whether any were missing, and to try to get the names from Villamonte to Washington by cable through the Bolivian Government would undoubtedly delay the matter a long time.
I then telephoned the Bolivian Minister and informed him of Dr. Ramírez’ message. He said that he would at once communicate with his Government and inquire whether Formosa would be acceptable as the place for the exchange. With regard to ascertaining the names of the prisoners he made practically the same comment that I had—that it would cause considerable and apparently unnecessary delay. I then told him, with the concurrence of Dr. Ramírez, that the really important question was whether Formosa would be acceptable to Bolivia for the place of exchange; that he might also ask his Government to inform us the names of the prisoners if they were in a position to do so, but if it seemed as though this were going to cause any unnecessary delay perhaps we could persuade the Paraguayan Government to drop that point. Dr. Diez de Medina asked again for assurances that the proposal was to exchange all the prisoners on one side for all those on the other at one and the same time and Dr. Ramírez confirmed this understanding.
Dr. Ramírez informed me that while he believed the newspaper reports as to the appointment of the Paraguayan delegates to the Commission were undoubtedly correct, he had not yet been officially informed by his Government of these appointments.