724.34119/122: Telegram
The Ambassador in Argentina (Weddell) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11 p.m.]
180. From Gibson. Elío called on me this afternoon and confirmed impression reported in my 178, August 14, midnight, paragraph number 2. He is obviously worried but states that having insisted on the postponement of action on Prisoners of War and Responsibilities Tribunal he now intends to press for plenary discussions of fundamental territorial question. He recognizes this is insoluble by direct agreement. He plans to make this clear and then press for arbitral agreement which he also considers impossible of attainment. Once this is evident he proposes to ask the Conference to declare formally that it has been impossible to find the basis for an arbitral agreement and on the strength of this declaration he will make a unilateral appeal to The Hague Court. He recognizes that even if he could get a judgment on such an appeal it would be useless as long as Paraguay occupies the Chaco but he appears at this time to be looking no further than his internal political situation. [Gibson.]