722.2315/2665: Telegram
The Ambassador in Peru (Norweb) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:28 p.m.]
691. The Brazilian Ambassador received telegraphic instructions from his Government last Saturday to impress strongly upon his Peruvian friends the importance of reaching a settlement with Ecuador upon the basis of the 1936 line and the unfortunate circumstances of having the boundary question raised at the Rio de Janeiro meeting40 on the grounds that Peru is occupying Ecuadoran territory by force.
The Peruvian Minister for Foreign Affairs told the Argentine Ambassador today that he is disposed to recommend to the Cabinet that the 1936 line be accepted as the basis for a settlement. The Ambassador requested the Foreign Minister to confirm that with the President and then to call in the three Ambassadors for another conference; and expressed the opinion that if Peru accepts the 1936 line as the [Page 248] basis for a settlement the three mediatory governments will be able to persuade Ecuador to take similar action.
Investigations by neutral military observers lead to the conclusions that there have been minor infractions of the Talara Agreement by both sides; that these occur without official knowledge or direction of commanders and that both sides reach hasty conclusions about unconfirmed reports in which the truth has been considerably twisted. The three Ambassadors will speak to the Minister for Foreign Affairs about this during their next meeting with him.