724.3415/716
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
Señor Mora, Uruguayan Chargé d’Affaires, called on me Friday afternoon, September 20. He read me a telegram from his Government stating that Uruguay did not make the representations at La Paz and Asunción that General Ruprecht had agreed to on the 14th instant because before they could do so Bolivia had informed them that that Government preferred to carry on direct negotiations with Paraguay. The Minister had called in the Bolivian Minister in an endeavor to have him have his Government change its attitude and after taking it up with his Government the Bolivian Minister had said that his Government was definitely decided in the matter and could not change. The offer of good offices had not been made by Uruguay as they had been definitely informed in the matter beforehand by Bolivia that the offer would be rejected.
The Chargé stated that he had been instructed to inform the Secretary of this as his Government wanted to cooperate with the other neutral governments and let them know the reason why the offer of good offices on the part of Uruguay had not been made.
I thanked the Chargé d’Affaires and told him that the Secretary would much appreciate the action of his Government in informing him and asked him to express to his Government the Secretary’s appreciation. The Chargé said that he would do so.
Señor Mora then inquired regarding the situation and I told him that as agreed in the meeting at which Señor Mora was present in the Secretary’s office the other day the Neutral Commissioners are discussing the matter in order to make recommendations to their Governments for further action. I pointed out to Señor Mora that [Page 900] there had as yet been no replies to the note of the Neutral Commissioners to the Party Commissioners on September 12, and that as this note met all the objections raised by both Bolivia and Paraguay to the draft convention of arbitration submitted to them by the neutrals on August 31, I hoped that it would be possible to make an arrangement on that basis and that I very much hoped that the position taken by Bolivia had been taken before they had received the note of September 12, and that this change in the situation would induce them to modify their attitude and accept the proposal.
I pointed out to him the serious situation that would arise should hostilities reopen and the great importance which the Secretary attached to the continuance of some friendly neutral machinery to help overcome the obstacles that inevitably arise in any negotiations and pointed out that it was merely the most fortunate chance that the Pan American Arbitration Conference was in session last December when the hostilities broke out between Bolivia and Paraguay and could thus extend its good offices with a view to a peaceful settlement.
Doctor Mora agreed entirely and said that any hostilities would be disastrous and certainly most unwelcome to the countries of South America. He expressed his readiness to cooperate in any possible way, for which I thanked him.