724.3415/2327a: Telegram
The Commission of Neutrals to the Bolivian Minister for Foreign Affairs (Gutiérrez)66
The Commission of Neutrals has received cablegrams from the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay indicating that they are disposed to terminate hostilities.
They have, however, proposed various conditions, as a prerequisite to such termination and this has resulted in the continuation of the struggle in the Chaco for many days. If one or both countries really desire the cessation of hostilities, there is no excuse for requiring that conditions of the kind indicated to the neutrals be a sine qua non for the restoration of peace. That one country should continue the struggle when the other desires to put an end to hostilities will mean that it is using force as an instrument of national policy in its relations with that other country, which is absolutely contrary to the declaration of the American Nations of the 3rd of August last, a declaration which was accepted by Bolivia and Paraguay.
[Page 94]In order to put an end to this anomalous situation in which both parties give assurances that they desire to terminate the combats, but fail to specify the date on which this would be accomplished, the Commission of Neutrals appeals both to Bolivia and Paraguay in order that they may accept an unconditional termination of hostilities and the immediate initiation of negotiations for the settlement of their differences by means of an arbitration without reservations.
The Commission of Neutrals will immediately send a delegation to the Chaco to verify the effective termination of hostilities, and informs the parties that if its delegation advises it that one of them has violated the engagement to terminate the struggle, the Commission of Neutrals will declare that such country is the aggressor and will suggest that all the Governments of America withdraw their diplomatic and consular representatives from that country.
The foregoing stipulations offer all necessary guarantees to both parties and they can accept them with dignity and without prejudice to their right, especially because of the fact that in accordance with the doctrine of the 3rd of August, military movements or positions do not in the least affect the juridical situation of either of the contenders.
President of the Commission of Neutrals
Minister of Uruguay
Minister of Colombia
Chargé d’Affaires of Cuba
Chargé d’Affaires of Mexico
- The same telegram, September 22, to the Paraguayan Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩