724.3415/3093
The Chilean Embassy to the Department of State88
Aide-Mémoire
The Department of State has received, through the American Ambassador at Santiago, the text of the note sent by Chile to Bolivia on the 22nd instant,89 urging it to set aside its objections in view of the favorable pronouncement of Paraguay in the soundings (sondeo) recently conducted at Asunción and La Paz, with the cooperation of the United States. On the same date, at La Paz, the Argentine Government in writing, and the Brazilian Government verbally, took the same action.
On the 18th instant, through Ambassador Culbertson, the Chilean chancellery requested the cooperation of the Department of State, in the form of a friendly counsel, like that given to the Government of Bolivia. As it received no reply to its request, and in view of a despatch from Ambassador Espil to his Government, dated the 21st, to the effect that the Department of State would not address a note to Bolivia, because of not having been informed officially of Paraguay’s note, and because it considered it necessary, in any case, to consult with the other neutrals, the A. B. C. countries decided to take the new step on the 22nd, as stated above.
[Page 315]In the judgment of the Chilean chancellery, it would appear logical that if the individual cooperation of the United States in the second sounding by the A. B. C. countries resulted in obtaining the consent of Paraguay, the United States should lend its cooperation to a third effort directed to overcoming the last resistance of Bolivia, postponing the consultation with the neutrals for the contingency of achieving a favorable result.
The Minister of Foreign Relations of Chile formally requests the cooperation of the United States, and agrees with the Chancellor of the Argentine Republic that it is of great importance, because if the present occasion is lost, the war in the Chaco would continue and the responsibility for having raised the final objection to conciliatory plans would rest on Bolivia. It fears that if the present measure looking toward peace fails, grave ulterior consequences will result, and it considers that the cooperation of the United States in the present efforts of the A. B. C. countries would have a profound political effect on public opinion and the way would be opened for a solution of the Leticia conflict.
The Minister of Foreign Relations of Chile takes the liberty of recalling, on this occasion, that Chile has always given its support to the measures of the neutrals and that the Mendoza formula is conceived precisely for the purpose of supporting their action.