724.3415/3438: Telegram (part air)
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Acting Secretary of State48
[Received December 15—9 a.m.]
314. I transmit below the substance of telegrams relative to the Chaco conflict which have been handed me in the French text in strict confidence by a League official. Due to the briefness of these communications and certain ambiguities in their language as well as the difference in the sources of the information, League officials are unable to determine the exact status of affairs and are hoping for clarifying reports. The general attitude of the Secretariat is that there is danger of the situation becoming complicated through the injection of too many political elements.
1. The telegram from Buero49 dated La Paz, December 12th, states that the Commission has a carefully studied formula of settlement [Page 374] which it is going to present to the two parties and requests that an appeal be made to League members represented at Montevideo to support this formula, uniformity of action being essential for its success. The telegram adds that the President of Bolivia in a confidential conversation with the Commission has laid stress upon the difficulties in which he finds himself, in being in the presence of proposals submitted on the one hand by Montevideo, and on the other hand by Commission.
2. Officials of the Secretariat do not know the terms of the formula of settlement referred to above. It is, moreover, not clear to them whether the Commission desires concerted support from League members for (a) a definite formula stated in precise terms, or for (b) the Commission’s plan of action in general without reference to specific terms. In order to leave the Commission entirely free in its judgment as to the propriety of announcing the terms of the formula which might possibly upset the situation and render further negotiations difficult, League officials prefer for the present to adopt the interpretation mentioned under alternative (b). With this object in view the Secretariat has communicated by telegraph with the Governments having nationals on the Commission and also with the Argentine representative at Paris in view of Argentine being a member of the Council and a limitrophe state in order to ascertain whether they would be ready to make a diplomatic démarche to support the action of the Commission. The Secretariat has replied to Buero’s telegram informing him of this action.
The Secretariat is now awaiting the reactions of these Governments. I am definitely informed, however, that the British and French representatives at Montevideo are working together and that they have standing instructions to support the Commission whenever deemed opportune and expedient.
3. A telegram from Nogueira, dated Montevideo, December 12, states that the British and French Ministers called on the Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs and expressed concern that Uruguay or the Conference might interfere in the Chaco matter. The telegram in translation continues as follows:
“I wish to confirm fully my preceding communications to the effect that Uruguay as well as the Conference have no idea of interfering but desire to offer to the League of Nations the eventual result of the present accessory negotiations. I feel that whatever the result the negotiation will end in the League of Nations favor”.
4. Telegram from Nogueira dated Montevideo December 13 reads as follows in translation:
“The Chaco Committee of the Conference met today with the President of the Republic and decided unanimously to recommend support [Page 375] to the Commission. The tendency is growing towards supporting sanctions if that is necessary. I have received a favorable telegram from Vigier50 which I have transmitted to the Minister of Foreign Affairs”.
- The opening paragraph of this telegram and sections marked “3.” and “4.” repeated in substance by the Department in telegram No. 97, December 18, 6 p.m., to the Chairman of the American Delegation.↩
- Juan Antonio Buero, Secretary General of the Investigating Committee of the League of Nations. See “The Chaco War: Telegrams Exchanged during the Sessions of the Conference—Plenary Sessions”, Seventh International Conference of American States, Minutes and Antecedents, with General Indev (Montevideo, 1933), pp. 219–225.↩
- Asesor juridico, Investigating Committee of the League of Nations.↩