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  3. Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1935, The American Republics, Volume IV
  4. Document 58

724.3415/4877: Telegram

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

Buenos Aires , May 17, 1935—9 p.m.
[Received 11:08 p.m.]

46. Preceding meeting of the Chaco group this afternoon I presented Braden40 to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In the conversation which followed Saavedra Lamas three times told us textually “Chile does not desire the success of the conference”. He earnestly advocated keeping the mediating group as small as possible fearing otherwise an unwieldy body and barren results.

At the commission meeting to which I was accompanied by Cox the Minister for Foreign Affairs read a telegram from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia accepting unreservedly the invitation to come to Buenos Aires, the message adding that Elio and a large staff would leave La Paz on May 22 for Buenos Aires due to arrive here the 25th. Saavedra Lamas said he was informing the Paraguayan Minister for Foreign Affairs of the foregoing who is ready to leave Asunción for Buenos Aires immediately. Today’s discussion concerned principally the drafting of a reply to the telegram addressed to the mediation group by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bolivia, mentioned in second paragraph of Embassy’s telegram 41 of May 14, 9 p.m., it being finally decided that in view of Bolivia’s unconditional acceptance a reply be sent stating that his suggestion for the enlargement of the group would receive the most earnest consideration. Previously Saavedra Lamas had stated that the Minister of Paraguay here had spoken to him at length against the idea of including Mexico in the mediating group drawing the inference that if Bolivia insisted on this Paraguay would wish to propose an additional member. The unanimous opinion of the group to whom your ideas on this point had been made known was against increasing the number of mediators if it could possibly be avoided. No discussion has yet occurred of documents pertaining to Argentine-Chilean peace negotiations.

No date was fixed for the next meeting.

Weddell
  1. Spruille Braden, U. S. delegate to the Pan American Commercial Conference.↩