Office of the Historian

724.3415/2824 6/16

Memorandum by the Chairman of the Commission of Neutrals (White)

[Washington,] January 13, 1933.

The Peruvian Ambassador37 called and said that his Government had instructed him to get some information regarding the Chaco matter so that they could answer the Neutral note. The Ambassador did not seem to know just what our note to Peru38 was and I read him the essential parts saying that we were inquiring of the four neighboring governments just what steps they were prepared to take to bring about peace in the Chaco. I told the Ambassador that Brazil had answered39 fully supporting our proposal of December 15.36 The Chilean Government had made a proposal which I showed the Ambassador.40 I said that this did not seem to advance the matter any and was not responsive to our request. I said we understood the Argentine Government would answer definitely a little later; that they had given us a preliminary answer saying they were exploring the situation and would give us a more definite answer later.

I told the Ambassador that I thought the thing that had the greatest chance of acceptance would be for the neighboring countries to say that they would police the territory while the matter was being submitted to arbitration. The Ambassador said that he felt quite sure his Government would not join in. I said I understood that Peru was very much occupied but that if Argentina and Brazil, the two countries which border on the Chaco, would do so, and perhaps ask Chile to join with them, that this would give Paraguay the guarantees that she required so that she could accept our proposal as a basis of discussion. Bolivia has already accepted as such. The Ambassador said he thought that was helpful and that he would take the matter up with his Government.

F[rancis] W[hite]
  1. Manuel de Freyre y Santander.↩
  2. Presumably the note of December 31, 1932, from the Commission of Neutrals to the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru, Foreign Relations, 1932, vol. v, p. 218.↩
  3. See telegram of January 11 from the Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Chairman of the Commission of Neutrals, p. 251.↩
  4. Foreign Relations, 1932, vol. v, p. 126.↩
  5. See telegram No. 4, January 10, 1 p.m., to the Ambassador in Peru, p. 248.↩