724.3415/2414 2/13
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
Mr. Soler telephoned me on Monday morning, October 3, to say that he had received a reply from his Government in answer to the two questions which the Neutral Commission put to it last Friday. He said that his Government considers the limits of the Chaco to be to the north and west of the River Paraguay. To the north, up to the Xauru, and to the west, to the Parapití. To the south, the Pilcomayo, and to the east, the Paraguay River. Mr. Soler added that the limits of the Chaco are also set forth in the first Paraguayan memorandum accompanying the Paraguayan counterproposal for a pact of nonaggression.70
With respect to the second question, whether Paraguay thought it could now stop hostilities, he said that his Government did not feel that it could do so on account of the fact that it was being attacked by two Bolivian armies in the Chaco. I told Mr. Soler that I would communicate this negative reply to the Neutral Commission—that I personally could not escape the conviction that, Bolivia for the past two weeks having expressed its readiness to terminate hostilities and enter into negotiations for a settlement, Paraguay would have to be considered the aggressor in view of her refusal to accept. I said that I could not find much sympathy with the statement that Paraguay was being attacked in view of the fact that Bolivia had expressed its readiness to stop hostilities and the fact that it was the Paraguayans who are now advancing. I advance, as my purely personal views, that Paraguay is playing a very dangerous game. Paraguay [Page 100] is at the present time winning a military victory. The fortune of arms may well turn against her, however, and then Bolivia may not wish to stop hostilities, although Paraguay will then undoubtedly be urging the Neutrals strongly to do something to stop Bolivia. Paraguay will thus have lost its opportunity and will have to take the consequences.
Mr. Soler said that he had instructions to transmit to his Government at once any views or suggestions that the Neutrals might wish to make and asked if there was anything I wanted him to transmit to his Government. I told him that I would communicate his reply to the Neutral Commission and if they have anything which they wish him to communicate to his Government I would advise him thereof.
- Notation on original: “I read and showed this paragraph to Dr. Soler on Oct. 4 and he said it sets forth correctly the Paraguayan position. F[rancis] W[hite].”↩