724.3415/4415: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul at Geneva (Gilbert)
128. Your 381, December 11, 10 a.m. The acceptance in part by this Government of the invitations extended by the League is necessarily contingent upon the acceptance by the two belligerents of the League Report. Until such time, therefore, as the reply of Paraguay is determined upon, it would seem clearly desirable for you to refrain from being present at any of the sessions of the Chaco Advisory Committee.
Should the League Report be accepted by both belligerents, the nature of the “informal contact”, which the League was informed you would be instructed to maintain with the Chaco Advisory Committee, would be determined by considerations of convenience and the practical advantages to be obtained. While the Department has given full and sympathetic consideration to the various points which you bring forward, you will realize that this Government has already determined not to take part in the deliberations of the Advisory Committee and it would unquestionably be regarded as at least passive participation by the United States if its representative were present at the meetings of the Committee. It would seem probable that Avenol, or the chairman of the Committee, in order to make your “informal contact” effective, might readily arrange to advise you fully of all of the important matters dealt with by the Committee.