721.23/813
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
Doctor Maúrtua3 called on me this morning and stated that yesterday afternoon, when he called me up and asked for an appointment today, it was to bring in a statement of the Peruvian position and his proposal in its final modified form. He prepared a memorandum giving his proposal and a covering letter, which he was going to deliver to me today, when he was advised this morning by Ambassador Freyre4 that the Peruvian Government had told him that it has accepted the [Page 385] Brazilian proposal.5 Mr. Maúrtua said that he was much chagrined at this action because he thought more could be accomplished here in Washington, and the acceptance by the Peruvian Government of the Brazilian proposal had been made without consulting him.
I told Mr. Maúrtua that for some time I had been hoping that one or more of the South American countries would assume the responsibility which its position imposes upon it to deal with this matter. I had, some months ago, suggested to Brazil the suitability of Brazil handling the matter.6 Nothing had come of these conversations and when last week I heard of the Brazilian proposal I was very pleased and was very gratified to hear that Colombia had accepted. My disappointment was a little more great when I heard that Peru had rejected the proposal. Now that they have changed their mind I was delighted. I thought that this was an excellent way to deal with the matter and hoped that the negotiations would be successful.
Mr. Maúrtua said that he thought his proposal offered the best way out and that he personally was very much disappointed as he thought we could work out something here. Now, in view of the information he had just got, we would have to suspend negotiations. I told him that I concurred fully in that as this Government would not want to cross wires with the Brazilian Government but would want to encourage and support it in its endeavors to bring about peace. Mr. Maúrtua said that he would also advise the Permanent Commission here so that it would know that its connection with the matter was also at an end, certainly for the time being. Mr. Maúrtua did leave with me a memorandum setting forth what his proposal is which he left merely for my information. I told him I was glad to accept it on that basis and with the understanding that no action of course was now to be taken on it. The memorandum is attached hereto.7
- Victor M. Maúrtua, Peruvian representative before the Permanent Commission at Washington.↩
- Peruvian Ambassador in the United States.↩
- See telegram No. 130, December 30, 1932, 11 a.m., from the Ambassador in Brazil, Foreign Relations, 1932, vol. v, p. 313.↩
- See memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State, October 27, 1932, ibid., p. 285.↩
- Not printed.↩