724.3415/1431: Telegram
The Minister in Bolivia (Feely) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1 p.m.]
126. Last night I discussed the military situation with the Chief of the General Staff with the idea of arriving at some method of avoiding clashes until a nonaggression pact could be formulated. He informed me that reports of a threatened Paraguayan attack continued to reach Bolivian headquarters and were causing him grave concern. He finally said that if I would suggest to my Government the advisability of bringing pressure to bear on Paraguay by means of representations to be made in Asunción by all the American governments to prevent further attacks, he would immediately send instructions to the military commander to discontinue all patrols and to keep Bolivian troops in their quarters entirely on the defensive. I promised to do so and such instructions were sent by him last night.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs last night informed me that he agreed with me that it would be inadvisable to postpone the conference and said that Bolivia would accept November 11 as the date of the first meeting provided the definite approval of the agenda of the conference could be left until Finot arrived on or about November 24th with instructions for the delegation. He also informed me that the vote in the Chamber of Deputies should terminate today and that he would immediately reply to the last notes.