724.3415/2511: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Chairman of the American Delegation to the General Disarmament Conference (Gibson)
32. For Wilson. Your 39, November 14, 1 p.m. The Council Committee appears to overlook entirely the political difficulties in Paraguay and Bolivia, particularly in the latter, where there has been a succession of cabinets for the last 2 months. Any precipitate action will simply undo the work that has been accomplished up to now as the result of most laborious and painstaking efforts. The League has not been dealing with the matter and apparently does not appreciate the difficulties that have been overcome so far nor the great change in the attitude of the two Governments which now gives encouragement that a settlement can perhaps be worked out. The Neutral Commission has been working on this matter for 4 years now and knows the difficulties. If the Commission had not used the utmost patience delegates from the two countries would not now be discussing the matter in Washington. If the League is impatient and jumps in it will most assuredly get a severe rebuff from one at least and probably from both of the countries concerned. The Neutral Commission feels that patience is essential in this matter and it will not be rushed into precipitate action which will merely result in undoing everything it has so far accomplished. For your confidential information the recent developments in the negotiations are most encouraging but there is nothing which can be blazed forth in the papers at this time regarding them as happens necessarily with any communications sent by the Neutral Commission to the League. As soon as there is something which can helpfully be communicated that will be done and if the Neutral Commission finds any action on the part of the League Committee which would be helpful this will certainly be pointed out and suggested to the Committee. It is most important that an attempt should be made to settle in a few days or weeks this matter which has been dragging on for a long time and can only possibly be brought to a satisfactory settlement by patience. Any other action is bound to result in failure.