724.3415/3153: Telegram
The Minister in Bolivia (Feely) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:44 p.m.]
54. The Minister of Foreign Affairs today sent for the ABCP Ministers and requested that they inform their Governments that Bolivia was desirous that the negotiations for an immediate peace on the basis of arbitration be renewed by the neighboring countries and the neutrals and that while Bolivia had not modified her attitude as to the prior delimitation of the arbitral zone, nevertheless, if Paraguay will not declare her territorial pretention Bolivia would be glad to receive suggestions from the two American entities upon that point. The Minister suggested that if inquiries were received by the four Governments from the League, the former be asked by their Ministers here to express their willingness to renew the negotiations, and said that, as a last resort Bolivia would accept a renewal of the neutral and ABCP activities under the auspices of the League.
All four Ministers were impressed by the attitude of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his evident sincerity and were agreed that Bolivia now desires an early peace. The Minister also intimated to them that he was informed that the United States would be prepared to suggest to the League the advisability of a return of the negotiations to an American capital.
The fear that the League may hold Bolivia responsible for the failure of the League’s intervention, the closing of the Argentine frontier announced here today, and the failure thus far to achieve a decisive military victory, are no doubt the principal reasons for the present more amenable attitude of Bolivia.
I believe that if the negotiations could now be renewed without delay, preferably without the cooperation of the League, the possibility of a successful issue is greater than at any previous time.