724.3415/953: Telegram
The Chargé in Peru (Mayer) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 6:47 p.m.]
14. (1) When Mr. Robert Woods Bliss, Ambassador in Argentina, paid his respects to President Leguia, accompanied by me, the President spoke at considerable length regarding the Chaco dispute. He had been informed of the engagement in the Chaco which had resulted in a number of casualties and felt that this precipitated a most difficult and unfortunate situation. He several times repeated his considered opinion that the Government of the United States should take matters in hand and address the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay very firmly to the effect that this situation must cease and that the questions involved should be settled by arbitration with plenary powers to determine all matters in dispute once and for all. The President observed, in this connection, that he was firmly of the opinion that despite newspaper reports and statements to the contrary and apparent attitudes dictated by local political consideration the Latin American Republics at heart believed that the United States of America was the one disinterested power capable of exercising a beneficent influence on Latin American affairs.
(2) President Leguia stated in continuation that if, as he considered not unlikely, an actual state of war resulted from present conditions in the Chaco, the prestige of the United States in Latin America, as well as in Europe, could not but suffer immeasurably. He added, that as the Government of the United States must know, he stood ready to give wholehearted support to any move we might make.
(3) Ambassador Bliss felt as I did that this conversation should be brought immediately to the attention of the Department.