Office of the Historian

724.3415/4373: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Bolivia (Des Portes)83

Washington, December 4, 1934—4 p.m.

30. (Repeat Gray section of telegram to Rio No. 176, December 1, 3 p.m.)84 You should obtain an interview at the earliest possible moment with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and read to him the text of the above replies, without, however, leaving copies thereof. Please state to the Minister for Foreign Affairs that the decision of this Government as above indicated demonstrates once more the earnest desire of the United States to cooperate in every effective and practical way with the other nations of this Continent for the peaceful solution of the Chaco War and that this Government desires the Bolivian Government to be confidentially advised of the intention of the United States before the official replies of the United States are received in Geneva.

Please make it clear, in your conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs that these replies to the League invitation will not be sent for 2 or 3 days yet and consequently request that the information contained therein be regarded as strictly confidential by the Government to which you are accredited.

The Bolivian Minister here has been informed of the contents of the above this morning.

Please cable the Department as soon as possible the reply which may be made to you by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in response to this communication. You should further transmit by cable any information you may have as to the nature of the reply which Bolivia may make to the League recommendations. Cable at the same time briefly present political status and whether in your judgment the present Government is going to be able to maintain itself.

Hull
  1. Similar telegram, omitting the final sentence, to the Minister in Paraguay as telegram No. 40, December 4, 4 p.m.↩
  2. Ante, p. 114, the portion of the telegram up to the paragraph beginning “At the earliest opportunity…”↩