721.23/925
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs (Wilson)
Dr. Rowe61 telephoned yesterday and said he had been trying to get in touch with Mr. White and that he understood Mr. White was ill. He said that various of the Latin American diplomatic representatives seemed to be inquiring of each other as to the attitude they should advise their Governments to take regarding the Brazilian appeal to the American states to support its proposal to Peru on the Leticia matter. He said that he wanted to propose that the State Department should call a meeting of heads of the Latin American missions in Washington to consider the attitude that should be taken by the respective Governments in the Brazilian proposal. He felt this would line up action on the part of the American states.
I said that I was inclined to doubt the wisdom of this Department calling such a meeting. I said that the moment we were advised that the discussions between Colombia and Peru were centered in Brazil, we had been careful to do nothing which might cross wires with the Brazilian Government’s efforts to settle this matter. Brazil had informed us of the offer it had made, which had been accepted by Colombia, and at Brazil’s request we had supported this offer in Lima. Colombia had addressed an appeal to this Government as a Kellogg Pact signatory, the Secretary had called a meeting of the diplomatic representatives of certain European powers signatory to the Kellogg Pact, to discuss the situation. This Government had then addressed an appeal direct to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru recalling to Peru its obligations under the Kellogg Pact. I said that certain of the Latin American diplomatic representatives had come to see Mr. White personally since the despatch of our note to Peru, and Mr. White [Page 432] had telephoned to practically all of the other Latin American diplomats. He had explained our position in the matter, and copies of our note had been transmitted to the Latin American diplomats. Our note, furthermore, had been published, and the action taken by the League had also been published. In other words, the Latin American Governments, through their representatives here, had full knowledge of what our position was.
I suggested that if it were thought advisable to have a meeting of the representatives of the Latin American states to consider the action to be taken on the Brazilian appeal, I thought the Government of Brazil was the one to call such a meeting. This could be done in Rio, where most of the South American states had diplomatic representatives, and the Central American states had consular representatives. Or, the Brazilian Ambassador in Washington could arrange such a meeting if he wanted to.
Dr. Rowe said that in the interest of gaining time he felt it would be better if the meeting could be called by the State Department and he hoped I would give consideration to his proposal. I said I would be glad to do so but that I felt, as stated to him, that this was a Brazilian proposal which had been addressed to the United States as to all the other American states; we had acted on it and it was up to the other American states to decide on their action; they were possessed of full information in the matter and if it was thought desirable to call the meeting on the Brazilian proposal I felt we should not do anything which would cross wires with Brazil and that such action had better come from Brazil itself.
Dr. Rowe telephoned again this morning, and referring to our conversation yesterday, said that he still wanted to urge that a meeting be called by the State Department. I asked whether the Brazilian Ambassador was doing anything to sound out his colleagues as to their attitude on the Brazilian proposal. Dr. Rowe said he did not know, but would try to find out. I said that it was quite likely that many of the Latin American diplomats in Washington, in view of our note to Peru and the conversations which Mr. White had had with them, had cabled their Governments urging them to support the Brazilian offer. I asked Dr. Rowe if he knew what action, if any, had been taken by the Latin American diplomats. He said that he did not know but he thought it would be a good idea to try to find out and that he would do so. He said that in case the Brazilian Ambassador should think it advisable to call an informal meeting to line up action on the Brazilian proposal he would probably want to discuss the matter first with the State Department to see if we had any objection. I said that we of [Page 433] course would have no objection and that I would be glad to discuss the matter with the Brazilian Ambassador at any time he cared to come in.
A further reason, which I did not explain to Dr. Rowe, for not complying with his request is contained in Mr. Caffery’s telegram No. 22 of January 25, 8 p.m.,62 which points out that Olaya had not, in fact, accepted the Brazilian proposal which the Brazilian Government informed us had been accepted by Colombia, and furthermore, that Brazil in its circular telegram to the American states had added an additional clause to its proposal, to which Olaya objected.