724.3415/3506: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received January 20—9 p.m.]
17. Consulate’s 12, January 16, 4 p.m.23 The following is a summary of the report on the Chaco situation adopted this evening by the Council in public session and accepted by the two parties.
1. Refers to Chaco Commission’s telegram of January 12 and cites in particular the principles of the plan of settlement outlined in the second paragraph thereof and also the Committee’s statement of opinion and request for instructions in the last paragraph (Consulate’s 7, January 13, 4 p.m.)
2. The report then continues
“The Council would call attention to the fact that when it adopted its report of July 3rd24 it was faced by an absolute difference of opinion between the two parties on this very question and came to the conclusion that the only practical solution would be for the Commission to discharge its functions taken as a whole as best it could having regard to the situation on the spot with a view to bringing about a speedy and permanent settlement of the dispute.
The fact that the two parties express the wish to see the Commission resume its work creates a situation which allows us to hope for a rapid success.
The Council attaches the highest importance to the continuance of the Commission’s efforts. It considers that arbitration whatever may be good [its] form is one of the best ways of arriving at a settlement of the dispute. In the present circumstances, however, the Commission’s mandate cannot be thus limited; it will have in particular authority to consider every method for reaching an agreement including for instance the conclusion of an armistice presenting sufficient guarantees [Page 49] to enable a solution to be reached as soon as possible of the questions referred to in (1) and (3) of the proposals mentioned in the Commission’s telegram of January 12. Question number 3 in particular could be investigated with the assistance of the neighboring powers in the spirit of the Argentine proposals adopted by the recent Pan American Conference. With regard to the substantive settlement the Council considers that it is competent [sic] to the Commission to try every means of reaching a settlement—judicial settlement, arbitral settlement, or direct settlement aided, if necessary, by good offices the essential aim being to arrive at a solution which will ensure peace and good relations between the parties.
The Council therefore requests its Commission to resume in conjunction with the parties the study of all the aspects of the problem and the practical possibilities of a solution.”
3. Expresses confidence that the Council can rely on the states members of the League and especially the neighbors of the parties to lend the Commission every assistance to facilitate its work.
4. Appeals to the two contending Governments “to give proof of political wisdom” and to arrive at a settlement of the dispute without delay.
5. Requests “the Committee of Three to continue to devote all its attention to this question and as hitherto to take such steps as it may think fit during the intervals between sessions.”
- Not printed.↩
- The Council of the League adopted two reports on the Chaco controversy, which are referred to and summarized in League of Nations, Dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay, Report of the Chaco Commission, Geneva, May 11, 1934, pp. 6, 10–11. See also League of Nations, Official Journal, September 1933, pp. 1072–1074; and ibid., February 1934, pp. 242–271.↩