722.2315/2632: Telegram
The Ambassador in Peru (Norweb) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:15 p.m.]
652. For the Under Secretary. Your telegram No. 489, November 29, 7 p.m., and telegram No. 486, December 2, 10 p.m., to the Department from the Legation at Quito. My Argentine and Brazilian colleagues and I had an interview yesterday afternoon with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and informed him that our three Governments would be pleased to have the Government of Chile jointly included in the conciliation procedure. … the Minister gave no indication regarding what the reply of his Government would be. He observed that if Chile were to be added to the group other countries such as Colombia and Mexico also might wish to join, thus approaching something like a general conference which has been consistently opposed by Peru. My Argentine and Brazilian colleagues told the Minister for Foreign Affairs that they had been instructed to the effect that their Governments would resist the addition to the group of any country other than Chile. The Minister then asked me if I had received similar instructions on this point. In view of the difference between my instructions and those of my colleagues and in view of the telegrams from the Legation at Quito, I replied that I would have to consult my Government, although I assured the Minister that my Government considers the matter one for the determination of the Governments of Peru and Ecuador.
The Peruvian Minister for Foreign Affairs reiterated that he is ready to consider any proposal that our three Governments may wish to submit with a view to reaching a definitive settlement of the boundary dispute. He expressed the opinion that the representatives of the three countries at Lima and Quito could carry on informal conversations [Page 247] with him and with the Ecuadoran Minister for Foreign Affairs in order to find a formula which could serve as the basis for a direct agreement between the two parties. In this connection, I assume that no reply has been received from the Ecuadoran Ambassador at Washington regarding the views of his Government about the suggestions recently made concerning the status quo line of 1936. It would be most helpful if this reply could be obtained from Ecuador so that we might continue our conversations here. …