724.3415/623
The Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry and
Conciliation (McCoy) to the Secretary of State
Washington, July 10, 1929.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith
for the Department’s information copies of correspondence read into
the minutes of the latest meeting of the Commission of Inquiry and
Conciliation, Bolivia and Paraguay, on July 2nd, at the Pan American
Union, together with the remarks made on the same occasion by Dr.
David Alvéstegui of the Bolivian Delegation and by myself as
Chairman.
The correspondence and remarks record the proposal and acceptance of
a plan whereby the neutral members of the Commission may now proceed
toward a final settlement of the fundamental question affecting the
Chaco, between Bolivia and Paraguay. The plan does not restrict the
Commission in the performance of its duties as defined in the
Protocol of January 3, 1929.41
The Department will, doubtless, be gratified to learn that during the
negotiations which led to the adoption of this plan the
Commissioners of Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay and Cuba lent the
indispensable assistance of their united efforts and the prestige of
their
[Page 864]
Governments, and
that the delegates of Bolivia and Paraguay, keeping always in mind
the interests of their respective Governments, cooperated in the
most broadminded way, as members of the Commission.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure
1—Translation]
Draft Note From the Chairman of the
Commission of Inquiry and Conciliation (McCoy) to the Delegations of Bolivia
and Paraguay42
Excellencies: On May 31st last, the
undersigned had the honor to make to Your Excellencies, through
His Excellency Dr. David Alvéstegui (Dr. Enrique Bordenave), as
well as to their Excellencies the Commissioners of Paraguay (of
Bolivia), through His Excellency Dr. Enrique Bordenave (Dr.
David Alvéstegui), the following statement:
The neutral Commissioners consider it indispensable, in order to
prevent further conflicts and establish conciliation on firm and
permanent bases, to procure a settlement of the fundamental
question between the two countries. They trust that Their
Excellencies the Commissioners of Bolivia and Paraguay (of
Paraguay and Bolivia), duly empowered by their Governments,
authorize the neutral Commissioners to prepare in a spirit of
amity such plans for a settlement as they may consider
appropriate to submit to them, it being understood that the
adoption of this procedure does not imply the abandonment of the
process of investigation now being conducted by the Commission
in pursuance of the Protocol of January 3, 1929.
His Excellency Dr. David Alvéstegui (Dr. Enrique Bordenave) was
kind enough then to inform me orally of his agreement with the
foregoing. Accordingly, I now have the honor to request Your
Excellencies to be so kind as to confirm that oral statement, in
order that the neutral Commissioners, who are animated by the
deepest desire to aid in establishing perfect harmony between
the two countries, may undertake that task, thus interpreting
the unanimous and cordial aspiration of the Republics of this
Continent.
Accept [etc.]
[Enclosure
2—Translation]
The Bolivian
Delegation to the Chairman of the Commission of
Inquiry and Conciliation (McCoy)
Washington, July 1,
1929.
Mr. Chairman: We have received the note
that Your Excellency was kind enough to address to us on the
28th of the past month, requesting
[Page 865]
us to confirm the verbal assent given to
you by one of the undersigned Commissioners, at the interview
held May 31st, last, to the suggestion of Their Excellencies the
neutral Commissioners that they make friendly proposals for the
settlement of the territorial question at issue between Bolivia
and Paraguay, since they consider it indispensable in order to
prevent further conflicts and establish conciliation on firm and
permanent bases.
In reply to Your Excellency, and in view of the commendable
intention expressed by Their Excellencies the neutral
Commissioners to offer suggestions to the Governments of Bolivia
and Paraguay for the purpose of defining the territorial
question, without thereby hindering, in any wise, the procedure
arising from the Protocol of January 3rd of this year, the
Delegation of Bolivia, duly empowered by its Government, states:
- 1.
- The Protocol of January 3, 1929, shall be continued in
full force, the activities of investigation to proceed
uninterruptedly.
- 2.
- The friendly proposals of Their Excellencies the
neutral Commissioners bearing on the fundamental
question shall only have unofficial and informal
character and will be conducted outside the scope of the
aforementioned Protocol.
- 3.
- The negotiations for an understanding shall be carried
out within the term of six months fixed in the Protocol
to complete the task of the Commission, after the
expiration of which it shall render its verdict in
accordance with the provisions of the Protocol, whatever
the result of the informal endeavors of Their
Excellencies the neutral Commissioners.
We thus confirm and explain, in its true scope, the verbal
statement recalled by Your Excellency and we take pleasure in
emphasizing the special deference with which the Bolivian
Government is willing to hear the friendly proposals of Their
Excellencies the neutral Commissioners, whose noble efforts and
cordial aspirations it acknowledges and highly appreciates.
We avail ourselves [etc.]
- David Alvéstegui
- Enrique Finot
[Enclosure
3—Translation]
The Paraguayan
Delegation to the Chairman of the Commission of
Inquiry and Conciliation (McCoy)
Washington, July 1,
1929.
Mr. Chairman: We have the honor to
acknowledge receipt of your note dated June 28 as follows:
[Here follows the text of the note from the chairman of the
Commission, printed on page
864.]
Witnesses as we are, until now, of the active endeavors of the
neutral Commissioners to restore the good friendship at present
unfortunately
[Page 866]
shaken
between our country and Bolivia; reliable witnesses as we are
also of the equanimity and prudence with which they are carrying
on their high and noble mission, our Government and its
Delegation accredited in Washington, not only grant the
authorization requested in the terms of the note which we are
answering, but we must be allowed again to acknowledge the
generous sentiments which inspire the conduct of the
Commissioners.
Confirming, therefore, the assent above expressed the Delegation
of Paraguay maintains categorically all the views formulated in
the memorials it presented and if it does not now mention them
in detail it is because, with the amplification of the powers of
the Commission, the matters that it deems to have been in its
jurisdiction are not only not affected but on the contrary can
be studied and decided more effectively and through a more
comprehensive and broader procedure.
We believe it is both our duty, and an obligation of justice,
also to state on this occasion that all the Governments which
have succeeded each other in directing the destinies of Paraguay
have always shown their desire and made efforts for the
definitive determination of the dividing line between the
respective sovereignties of the two Republics in the vast
territory of the Chaco, and the firm and lasting consolidation
of the friendship and solidarity that should exist between the
two for reasons of identity of origin and of common interests
which must bind them inescapably in the future.
Expressing our wishes that the distinguished neutral members of
the Commission may obtain in their task the entire success to
which their great purposes entitle them and promising our loyal
cooperation within the standards indicated to us by our duty, we
renew [etc.]
- Francisco C.
Chaves
- Enrique Bordenave
[Enclosure
4—Translation]
The Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry
and Conciliation (McCoy) to the Delegations of Bolivia and
Paraguay
Washington, July 2,
1929.
Excellencies: I have the honor to
acknowledge receipt of the note dated July 1st, wherein Your
Excellencies were kind enough to answer mine of June 28th,
last.
In the name of the Commissioners for Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay
and Cuba, and in my own, it affords me great pleasure to
acknowledge the new evidence of a lofty spirit of Americanism
given by your Government, through Your Excellencies, in
accepting our friendly offer. At the moment of undertaking the
task of preparing, for submission to Your Excellencies, plans
for a settlement of the fundamental question between Bolivia and
Paraguay, for which purpose
[Page 867]
we regard the two nations as being in the
same position, we entertain the hope of thus contributing to the
lasting understanding between these Republics which the neutral
Commissioners are actively seeking.
The neutral Commissioners have noted carefully the matters set
forth in the note of Your Excellencies which are considered
pertinent to the work undertaken by them and they deem this task
to be distinct from the work which belongs to the Commission as
a whole.
I avail myself [etc.]
[Enclosure
5—Translation]
Remarks by the Bolivian Commissioner
(Alvéstegui)
The Bolivian Commissioner, Dr. Alvéstegui, said that he wished
solely to express, once more, the deep satisfaction with which
the Government of Bolivia, and its Delegates in Washington, had
followed the course of the friendly negotiations undertaken by
the neutral Commissioners, in their praiseworthy desire to
assist in the settlement of the pending territorial dispute,
because, due to her historical past, Bolivia’s attitude toward
the controversy with Paraguay was the same that always led her
to procure the termination, by pacific means, of her differences
with neighboring sister countries.
He added that Bolivia had taken the initiative of promoting the
settlement of the territorial dispute with Paraguay, and that,
notwithstanding the little success of her first efforts, she
does not hesitate in making new ones to that end whenever
appropriate opportunity offers.
He further said that when incidents she had not willed cast
shadows upon the international horizon, Bolivia had given again
renewed evidence of her pacific spirit, by participating in the
Commission of which she is a member, and that consequently, when
the neutral Commissioners believed it advisable to seek for a
formula to settle the territorial question with Paraguay, which
it has been impossible to agree upon through direct
negotiations, both the Bolivian Government and its Delegation
had given ample support to and expressed appreciation of that
commendable initiative.
Finally, he said that since the noble purpose of the informal
negotiations had been achieved, he wished to reiterate the
appreciation of the Bolivian Government and of its Delegation,
to the neutral Commissioners, for their generous and well
meaning efforts, and to express the earnest and sincere hope
that they may be fully successful in the endeavors, to which the
Government of Bolivia and its Delegation in Washington offered
the assistance of a loyal and frank cooperation.
[Page 868]
[Enclosure 6]
Remarks by the Chairman of the Commission of
Inquiry and Conciliation (McCoy)
I am particularly happy to be able today to congratulate my
distinguished colleagues, the Commissioners for Bolivia and
Paraguay, for having made possible this decisive step toward
conciliation of the differences between them. I believe that
they have thereby interpreted in its true meaning the purpose of
the Pan American Conference on Conciliation and
Arbitration,43 under the good
auspices of which the Protocol was signed creating this
Commission. May I be allowed also to express to my neutral
colleagues my cordial felicitations on the loyalty and lofty
spirit with which they have approached the negotiations that
have led to this happy consummation, and on their constant
solicitude for the honor and respective interests of the two
countries. The American Republics, especially those having
Commissioners here, have cause to look upon the work of my
neutral colleagues with particular satisfaction and I am
delighted to make public acknowledgment of this debt of
gratitude owed to you and your respective countries.
