740.0011 European War 1939/24260: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)
1067. Your 1494, September 15, 5 p.m. Ambassador Michels must have misunderstood me if he thought I acquiesced in the view he expressed under instructions of his Government that it was preferable that Chile defer until after the President’s visit to the United States rupture of diplomatic relations with the Axis.
I replied to the Ambassador’s observation that President Ríos and himself were of course within their proper scope in supporting whatever point of view on this matter that seemed to them preferable. By the same token, the Ambassador and his Government would appreciate that we were entitled to adhere to our own point of view. From the outset, it had been the judgment of the President, Mr. Welles [Page 35] and myself that the break of relations with the Axis should come before the visit rather than afterwards.
Ambassador Michels took no exception to what I said although he continued to press the point of view of his Government. I am sorry if I failed to make clear to the Ambassador our position and will go over it with him again tomorrow.
To recapitulate our attitude, President Ríos conveyed the message to the President through Ambassador Michels that Chile was ready to cooperate in the defense of the hemisphere in whatever way indicated by President Roosevelt. The President was most grateful for this constructive attitude and requested the Ambassador to inform President Ríos that he would appreciate Chile’s rupturing relations with the Axis. The President also asked the Ambassador to inform President Ríos that he hoped President Ríos could visit him in Washington. It was the President’s belief, which has been maintained by all of us, that Chile would rupture relations in response to his indication and that President Ríos would then visit the United States.