724.3415/2110: Telegram
The Minister in Paraguay (Wheeler) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 22—4:42 a.m.]
95. Your telegram No. 35 of August 20, 3 p.m., was received this morning. The President today cabled Soler and all Paraguayan Legations that Paraguay’s unchangeable position is that the fortines [Page 76] last taken by Bolivia must be evacuated by her troops and Paraguay will reoccupy them. A message was sent yesterday to all field commanders calling on them to refrain from all attack in any case till end of this week and as much longer as possible, on the chance that the Neutrals may be able to gain Bolivia’s agreement to the status quo of June 1st. The President states that, to his regret, in view of the extent of the Bolivian concentration, it is too late to consider now a plan for a neutral zone, and inasmuch as Paraguay’s obligation to refrain from all hostilities was based on a return to the positions of June 1st, he hopes that as soon as the Neutrals are convinced that Bolivia’s agreement thereto is not to be gained they will release Paraguay from her obligation. He asks me to send you the following statement:
“Paraguay’s situation is that Bolivia is intentionally making it impossible for the Neutrals, who are not represented on the ground by observers, to judge the evident final details exacted which Paraguay might send them, of Bolivian aggressions almost daily occurring. Bolivia’s custom is, when she has made an attack on a Paraguayan post, to give out a statement at La Paz wherein she calls the post by another name, claims it her own, and alleges that it has been attacked by Paraguayan troops. Meanwhile she is holding the Paraguayan posts she has taken in the Casada sector while she is strengthening steadily her concentration behind them. Paraguay’s delay at resisting this growing concentration is daily becoming more perilous for her. She hopes the Neutrals will realize her situation and will believe that she is willing to assent to any agreement that is not one-sided and would not tend to cripple her defense should war eventually be forced upon her.”