Office of the Historian

724.34119/121: Telegram

The Ambassador in Argentina (Weddell) to the Secretary of State

Buenos Aires, August 16, 1935—11 p.m.
[Received August 17—1:50 a.m.]

181. From Gibson. Tenth session of Peace Conference this afternoon (neutrals without contending parties) may be summarized as follows:

1.
Telegrams read from Neutral Military Commission regarding recent visit of Commission to La Paz and progress of demobilization; through August 11th over 30,000 Paraguayans and 18,000 Bolivians had been demobilized.
2.
Consideration was given to telegram from the chairman of the Neutral Military Commission mentioned in antepenultimate, of my 175 August 14, 3 a.m.
It was decided that chairman of the Conference should reply approving attitude of the chairman of the Commission.
3.
Note read from chief of Bolivian delegation to President of the Conference requesting that question of Responsibilities Tribunal be put off and that “in view of obstacles which have arisen in prisoners question” and since Conference had devoted only one session to the fundamental question, preferential treatment be given to the latter.
4.
Resolution was then drafted and approved providing that “plenary sessions be continued as soon as any of the commissions which are now functioning considers that it has arrived at a possible solution of the problem entrusted to it or when the delegations of the neutral countries indicate that they have properly completed their study of the fundamental question” (see paragraph 7 of my 178 August 14, 12 p.m.)
5.
Report of Prisoners Committee informing Conference of its inability to promote an agreement between the parties at this time was read. A general debate ensued in which the delegates who had not participated in the work on the prisoners of war question out-shouted the others with the result that the consensus of opinion appeared to be that refusal of one of the parties to continue was no reason for stopping the conciliatory work of the Committee. It was finally agreed that the Committee should make an effort to have the parties reach an agreement on the immediate return of all sick and crippled prisoners. Dawson will replace me on this Committee.
6.
In other words, to all intents and purposes, we are taking a recess until after demobilization unless something unforeseen occurs. [Gibson.]

Weddell