724.3415/3470: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina (Weddell)
5. Your 5, January 4, 10 p.m. We feel that the termination of the armistice might have such disastrous consequences and be so deeply regrettable in view of the hope of a peaceful settlement of the controversy held out as the result of the labors of the Montevideo Conference that no possible effort should be omitted to provide at least for the continuation of the armistice in the hope that a passage of time without further conflict may tend to create a more favorable reception for the League Commission’s representations or bring about a possible modification in the negotiations which will create a more favorable current of public opinion in Paraguay.
Consequently, unless you have been otherwise directly instructed by the Secretary or have received instructions from him which would make the following procedure inadvisable in your judgment, you are instructed to request tomorrow morning an audience with President Justo and place before him very clearly the hope of this Government that the Government of Argentina may feel disposed through friendly counsel with the Government of Paraguay to urge a continuation of the armistice for an additional period while negotiations are proceeding. You may say to President Justo that this Government appreciates fully the delicate internal situation which now exists in Paraguay and realizes that there may well be some reason of which [Page 39] we are not aware why the Government of Argentina may not desire to exert the full measure of its influence at Asunción. In conclusion you may say that it is only because of our full realization of the desire of the President of the Republic, as so frequently demonstrated, to urge the peaceful solution of this disastrous controversy that we are now expressing our hope that should the exercise of the Argentine Government’s influence in Asunción be possible or useful at this juncture it may be so utilized.
There would not be, in our judgment, any reason why a friendly and confidential representation of this character made by the Argentine Government could be construed as interfering in the slightest degree with the initiative originally taken by President Terra.