810.79611 T. N. T. Airlines/296

The Assistant Secretary of State (Welles) to the Secretary of State

My Dear Mr. Secretary: I am strongly opposed to the action proposed in the attached correspondence.32

The Minister of Bolivia has stated by instruction of his Government that it is the intention of that Government to remove the Bolivian Consul General in New York in the near future and to replace him with a new consul general. Under these circumstances, the objective sought, namely, having the official in question removed—would be obtained but by other methods which would create no publicity and [Page 246] would do nothing to impair the relations between Bolivia and the United States.

If the exequatur of the Consul General is revoked as here suggested, the matter will inevitably be given prejudicial publicity in Bolivia at a time when any anti-American press campaign would be definitely detrimental to the position we hold in the Chaco Peace Conference and which would most decidedly not be conducive to the creation of the kind of friendly atmosphere we desire at the proposed inter-American peace conference.

I have already intimated to the Minister that the time his Consul General was permitted to remain in New York by his Government should be limited and I have mentioned two months as a reasonable time limit.

I hope, consequently, that you will coincide in my opinion that the better way to handle this in our own interest is to have the Bolivian Consul General removed by his own Government.

S[umner] W[elles]
  1. Not printed.