724.3415/3254: Telegram (part air)
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 29—6:15 a.m.]
177. Consulate’s despatch 632, political, July 14,23 last paragraph. This rumor which was at first discredited, seems now to be confirmed. The Secretariat has issued the following communiqué:
“The Committee set up by the Council to examine the difference between Bolivia and Paraguay has received from the Delegations of Bolivia and Paraguay letters requesting it on behalf of the two Governments to confide to the Governments of Argentine, Brazil, Chile and Peru, the mandate of the Commission of Five which has been appointed in execution of the Council’s decision of July 3.
The Committee has requested further explanations on the subject from the two Delegations.[”]
I learn that this proposal (transmitted by the two Governments in separate letters expressing agreement between them) has confronted the Committee of Three with a difficult problem. At the present moment the Committee is completely at a loss to understand the meaning of this proposal, as briefly submitted by the parties, even in its purely technical and juridical aspects. It is not clear whether the plan contemplates
- (1)
- that the Governments of the limitrophe countries undertake the settlement of the dispute (a) independently or (b) under the direction of and responsible to the Council, or
- (2)
- that the Council appoint a commission composed of nationals of the limitrophe countries which would replace the commission already constituted and assume its task under the same terms of reference.
The first alternative, with the Governments acting either independently or under the direction of the Council, is seen as involving complicated questions of a juridical if not of a political nature especially as Brazil is not a League member and Argentina is at most an inactive member. The second alternative involves a change of procedure of which the purpose and utility are not clear. In addition the Committee does not know to what extent the limitrophe Governments are in agreement on the proposal and what they understand by it.
The Committee furthermore is uncertain as to whether the proposal may imply a possible change in the situation with respect to the substance of the dispute or merely a desire for a change of procedure due to dissatisfaction with present methods or whether it may not be simply a maneuver.
As a practical objection to any change the present commission has already booked passage for South America and the Spanish and Mexican members are actually en route.
In view of this situation the Committee has requested the parties to submit a complete explanation of the meaning and scope of their proposal. In any case the Committee does not feel competent to take a final decision on the matter and contemplates after reaching its own conclusions, the submission of the question to the Council together with its recommendations.
- Not printed.↩