810.74/592
The American Ambassador in Chile (Bowers) to the Chilean Minister for Foreign Affairs (Barros Jarpa)58
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to our several previous conversations upon the subject and to inform Your Excellency that my Government is deeply disturbed by the continuance of telecommunication circuits between Chile and the Axis countries. The information which is being supplied to the Axis by the channels which Chile permits to remain open makes as substantial a contribution to the Axis cause as if Chile were supplying the Axis armed forces with actual war material. Its effect can be measured in terms of the torpedoes that are sinking American and other vessels and thereby disrupting the vital communications of the American Republics. Human lives and ships of the American Republics are paying for the fact that the Axis nations can send vital military and shipping information freely in secret codes over the circuits maintained by the Transradio Chilena.
My Government, in view of the frequent and appreciated demonstrations of Chile’s position of complete solidarity and cooperation with our cause, feels certain that Your Excellency’s Government will not continue to countenance this extension of aid to the Axis powers when it realizes the wounds which are being inflicted on the entire American community of nations as a result of it. I am accordingly, under instructions from my Government, taking this occasion again to [Page 140] bring this situation urgently to Your Excellency’s attention and to express our confidence that, in accordance with Resolution XL of the Conference at Río de Janeiro, Your Excellency’s Government will at this time close the telecommunication circuits existing between Chile and the Axis powers.
Accept [etc.]
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in his despatch No. 4755, October 23; received November 2.↩