710.Consultation (3)A/354

The Ambassador in Peru (Norweb) to the Secretary of State

No. 7337

Sir: I have the honor to report that Mr. Carl Spaeth, the United States delegate on the Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense, passed through Lima on July 11 en route to Central America, Mexico and the United States.

Mr. Spaeth explained that the Committee has adopted the plan of sending two or three of its members to visit the various American republics for the purpose of discussing the work of the Committee. He said that this plan was submitted to the various governments and that all countries in South America except Chile and Peru accepted it. In reply to the Committee’s recommendation regarding these visits, the Peruvian Government stated that the time did not seem opportune for such visits. Mr. Spaeth believes that the Chilean Government influenced Peruvian action. He explained that the Committee’s unfavorable report regarding Chile61 was published about a week after the present Chilean Minister for Foreign Affairs62 had returned to Santiago to take office. Mr. Fernández, prior to entering the Chilean [Page 28] cabinet as Minister for Foreign Affairs, was the Chilean representative on the Committee. Mr. Spaeth stated that Mr. Fernández never will forgive the Committee for its action and that it will be difficult for the Committee to obtain Chilean cooperation for some time to come. He believes that the Chilean Minister for Foreign Affairs may have stated his position to the Peruvian Government and suggested the convenience of a similar attitude on the part of Peru.

In view of the present situation with respect to relations among Peru, Chile and Bolivia as a result of the recent re-opening by Bolivia of the question of a port on the Pacific, it is quite possible that Mr. Spaeth’s estimate of the situation is correct. The question has not been mentioned by any official of the Peruvian Government, and the first news that the Embassy had of the matter came from Mr. Spaeth.

It would be helpful if the Department could keep the Embassy informed regarding the work and the various projects of the Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense.

Respectfully yours,

For the Ambassador:
George H. Butler

First Secretary of Embassy
  1. See footnote 14, p. 4.
  2. Joaquin Fernandez y Fernández.