810.20 Defense/6711/24: Telegram
The Ambassador in Chile (Bowers) to the Secretary of State
Santiago, June 10, 1940—4 p.m.
[Received 6:05 p.m.]
[Received 6:05 p.m.]
118. For the Secretary and Under Secretary. At 1 o’clock the President after seeing his conferees gave me the following statement:
- 1.
- If Chile should be attacked she would defend herself to the utmost.
- 2.
- If the United States should be attacked Chile would aid her to the utmost.
- 3.
- If a third country which the United States wished to defend (Brazil for example) were attacked Chile would aid that country to the utmost.
- 4.
- If Chile undertakes an aggressive war she would of course not expect aid from the United States and vice versa.
Conferees agreed to everything with the exception of certain things which they described as political and beyond their jurisdiction but said they would do whatever the Government agreed to and the President’s statement to me makes the agreement complete.
Bowers