724.3415/3360
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Caffery)
I had a visit this afternoon from the Bolivian Minister, Señor Dr. Don Enrique Finot, who narrated to me the course events had taken recently in connection with the efforts of the ABCP powers to settle the Chaco controversy (telegrams and despatches received in the Department confirm the account which Dr. Finot gave me of this).
The Minister then said that a notice had been published in Buenos Aires yesterday that the President of the United States personally would offer his mediation in the controversy. He asked me if the report were true. I told him that I did not think so.
He asked me if I did not consider the present activities of the League in the Chaco matter to be somewhat in opposition to the Monroe Doctrine. I told him, no, that we did not consider the present activities of the League in connection with the Chaco controversy to be in opposition to the Monroe Doctrine; and explained the reasons why.
[Page 363]Dr. Finot closed his remarks by observing that his Government would welcome at any time an effort on the part of the United States alone, or in association with other powers, to mediate in the controversy.