724.3415/718
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
The Secretary on the afternoon of September 23, asked the Mexican Ambassador, the Colombian Minister and the Cuban and Uruguayan Chargés d’Affaires to call on him regarding the Bolivia-Paraguay matter.
The Secretary stated that he had been kept in touch with the situation by General McCoy and Mr. White and also by the neutral members of the Commission and that he was very much impressed by the [Page 902] necessity of taking some measures that might eliminate the great possibility of a conflict presented by the presence of large forces of Bolivian and Paraguayan troops in the Chaco and in the fifty odd forts facing one another there. The Secretary felt that it is essential that there should be some machinery set up which will tide over the innumerable crises that are bound to arise in the future as they have in the past.
This matter has been considered by the neutral Commissioners and the Secretary had read a memorandum of their views.70 He wanted to emphasize, however, that while the action which he was going to propose is, he feels convinced, in harmony with the views of the Neutral Commissioners the responsibility for it is his. The Secretary has drafted a communication which he would suggest should be made by the five neutral governments separately to the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay and he would of course be glad to have any suggestions which any of the Governments may care to make with respect thereto.
The Secretary then read the draft communication, a copy of which is attached hereto. While reading it the Secretary emphasized first that Bolivia has not definitely rejected the idea of a Commission of Neutrals and that there is therefore a basis for bringing the two parties together. He further emphatically emphasized that the essential point is that there shall be machinery established and that it is immaterial where the deliberations shall take place. He also pointed out that there are two distinct needs and functions for the Commission, one, to lend its good offices in bringing about a settlement should the direct negotiations break down, and also the need of such a disinterested neutral body to help overcome difficulties that may arise during the course of direct negotiations. The Secretary stated that he felt it very important not to have a long hiatus between the two Commissions as trouble might arise at any time.
The four diplomatic representatives in question stated their readiness to cooperate and said that they would advise their Governments immediately of the Secretary’s proposal. The Colombian, Mexican and Cuban representatives stated that they felt sure their Governments would take the action suggested. The Uruguayan Chargé said that he would transmit the matter immediately to his Government; that the Minister would return tomorrow and carry on the work from that date.
[Page 903]The Mexican Ambassador suggested that it would be helpful to the Governments to have the report of the work of the Commission mentioned in their last meeting in order to put the neutral governments au courant with the present situation in the matter. General McCoy stated that the report is now ready and would be available later in the day. Copies were later sent to the four representatives in question.
- Two documents both identical and without title are attached to the document in hand. The first document is presumably the “memorandum of their views” and the second “the draft communication”, mentioned in the next (fourth) paragraph. Both are the same as the quoted part of the Department’s circular telegram of September 23 to the diplomatic representatives in Bolivia and Paraguay, infra.↩