724.3415/2897: Telegram
The Minister in Paraguay (Wheeler) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 22—8:28 a.m.]
25. Chile’s volte-face in the matter of passing war materials through Arica has caused great surprise here and the President has several times remarked to me that some powerful influence must be behind it. I now learn that on February 18 the Paraguayan Minister in Santiago telegraphed him that the American Ambassador there had several times recently called on Cruchaga to ask for what reason the shipments for Bolivia were being held up. Ayala replied that he would not believe the implication that Chile’s reversal of her previous decision was due to diplomatic pressure from the United States. Ramirez replied that such had been Cruchaga’s meaning. Ayala then requested the Chilean Minister here to ask the latter his reasons for the reversal. To the question Cruchaga replied with what Ayala calls “puerile reasons” the last being that to refuse passing the consignment would result in “international complications”. Ayala again telegraphed Ramirez that he refused to believe that, even if such pressure had been applied, the United States Government had either instructed it or was aware of this. There is danger, however, that this insinuation may be credited in the Cabinet.
Ayala has begun to doubt Chile’s bona fides and to believing that she wishes Bolivia to continue to be occupied with Paraguay for reasons connected with the present situation between Peru and Colombia and from the fact that the Chilean railway is Government-owned and its income a matter of consideration.
In answer to Chile’s decision today a decree was issued calling the Congress in extraordinary session on February 24th to secure authorization for the Executive to declare war against Bolivia. This will not make the declaration inevitable but there is no doubt that it will quickly follow unless an acceptable concrete proposal looking to peace is meanwhile received by this Government.
Bordenave57 leaves for Washington February 23d.
- Enrique Bordenave, Paraguayan Minister to the United States.↩