724.3415/1723 5/14
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
Mr. Espil, the Argentine Ambassador, called and discussed the Chaco matter.1 He had a telegram from his Government saying that in view of the situation in the Chaco they thought it inadvisable to postpone the Seventh Pan American Conference. Espil said that unfortunately the telegram arrived too late to take the matter up yesterday. He asked what I thought about the matter and whether I thought it would serve any useful purpose if the Uruguayan Government, in reply to the inquiry addressed to it yesterday, should suggest the inadvisability of postponing the Conference for this reason. I told him that if there is to be trouble in the Chaco it will undoubtedly occur before the Conference could be held in December. Mr. Espil assented. I also inquired just what the Conference could do. He mentioned that the Pan American Conference for Arbitration and Conciliation2 had been in session when the matter broke out over three years ago and had been very helpful. I replied that that was of course true and that their action had been to offer their good offices and to set up a neutral commission to take the matter in [Page 4] hand. This commission is still functioning. I did not see what the Conference itself could do. I told him I thought the most practical results would come from an agreement among the four States bordering on Bolivia and Paraguay, namely, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, as to definite action. Mr. Espil said that he agreed that that would give the most practical results but he thought that any joint action would be very difficult to bring about. I inquired what his Government would be prepared to do and he evaded the question although I put it to him two or three times. He finally said that he did not know. I suggested that it might be well to sound out his Government on that point to find out what they would be prepared to do. I added that if there was anything we could do to help in the matter I should be glad to be advised thereof. Mr. Espil said that he would take it up with his Government and would keep in touch with me.