740.0011 European War 1939/21968: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)
649. Your 885, June 2, 9 p.m. From the time of the attack of Japan against the United States it has been our position that the logic of the commitments of the American Republics regarding inter-American solidarity and collaboration in the face of attack by non-American powers required the severance of diplomatic relations between the American Republics and the aggressor powers. This is not a subject for bargaining. We believe it to be at least as much in the interest of Chile as in the interest of the other countries that Chile sever diplomatic relations. We believe and hope that as Chile begins fully to comprehend the broad implications of its own situation in relation to the solidarity of the Western Hemisphere it will sever diplomatic relations.
[Page 24]Obviously it is only fair to those countries which have severed diplomatic relations and thereby taken a positive and affirmative step for the security of the hemisphere to afford them all possible assistance. We are prepared to render such assistance within the limits of existing circumstances to Chile should it sever diplomatic relations. We cannot discuss this assistance until after we know what Chile’s policy is to be. We assume that we will definitively ascertain what plans the Chilean Government has for a clearer definition of its international policy from the Foreign Minister when he is in Washington.
I feel certain that you will appreciate that this is the only sound procedure to follow at this juncture.