862.20210/1390: Telegram
The Ambassador in Chile (Bowers) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:20 p.m.]
666. Berle from Ambassador. De Bardeleben’s21 equipment reached him only first week in April. In view of our doubts as to the discretion of Chilean officials, it seemed better for him to work alone until PYL was finally located. Unfortunate extreme difficulties of terrain, surveillance activities of Nazi organization and sudden irregularities in transmission so far rendered impossible final exact location of station. There is now also the question of locating Noispagzces circuit. Further work held up pending receipt of replacement material requested in my 664, of May 2, 11 a.m.20 De Bardeleben, excellent technician, and with good fortune should succeed in exact location of both stations within a fortnight or 3 weeks after receipt of replacement equipment.
We feel it advisable to wait to obtain exact location of stations and agents operating out of them before asking the Chilean Government to proceed to arrests. I believe that on that occasion with insistent instructions from the Department authorizing me to carry the matter if necessary to the President, the Chilean Government will proceed to arrests, but it probably will be necessary to disclose pertinent intercepts at least to Ministers of the Interior22 and Foreign Affairs23 for which authorization is requested.