Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The American Republics, Volume V

740.0011 European War 1939/27590a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)

Washington, January 20, 1943—4 p.m.

68. When Chile breaks relations with the Axis, the Department is confident that you will follow closely the action of the Chilean Government along the following lines, offering such informal suggestions and assistance as, in your judgment, may be appropriate:

1) Implementation of the Rio Resolutions (including especially the one on telecommunications)¹⁴ and the Washington resolutions on economic and financial controls.¹⁵ You may in your discretion make available to the Chilean Government details in your possession concerning measures taken by the other American republics which have broken with the Axis in this respect.

2) Regarding exchange of officials with European Axis powers you may state that the United States Government is willing to facilitate such exchange by issuance of safe conducts and by any other necessary and proper measures. As you know, the practice followed in many cases has been to assemble the departing officials in a suitable hotel at some distance from the capital pending final arrangements for their departure. After negotiations are completed and the release of the Chilean officials in Europe is assured the release of the Axis officials from Chile might be arranged for a date immediately preceding the departure from Buenos Aires of a neutral vessel bound for a European port. The Chilean Government presumably would wish to assure itself that the Argentine Government would require all members of the party to embark on the designated vessel, since failure of any member of the departing party to arrive at Lisbon might be taken by the Axis Governments as an excuse for the detention of Chileans. The United States Government would be willing to cooperate to the best of its ability in issuance of safe conducts to nonofficial nationals in the event the Chilean Government is able to make satisfactory arrangements with the German Government for their exchange. It is assumed, however, that the Chilean Government would be unwilling to arrange for repatriation of those German nationals whose repatriation in its opinion or that of the United States or British Embassies, might be prejudicial to the cause of the United Nations.

3) The United States Government would be pleased to extend to the Chilean Government on the basis of equality any facilities for exchange of officials and non-officials under the American-Japanese arrangements. Documents relating to these arrangements were sent you last year under cover of various instructions and you are aware that the inclusion of certain Chilean nationals has been authorized in the proposed second exchange. The Chilean Government may wish to note that in the second exchange operation the United States Government has experienced difficulty in determining exactly what the Japanese Government desires. The Japanese Government has already rejected the proposed sailing list for the Gripsholm composed of Japanese who desire repatriation, and another proposed list composed of Japanese designated by the Japanese Government for repatriation. Negotiations on the second exchange operation are continuing.

4) Press reports have stated that Argentina may undertake the representation of Chile in the Axis territory. This would, of course, be undesirable. Have you any information on this subject? You will recall that all of the American Republics in which Argentina had consented to represent Italian interests requested that other arrangements be made.

5) More detailed instructions regarding the issuance of safe conducts granted by this Government and the considerations involved therein will be sent you by mail.

6) Production of strategic materials will be of primary importance in Chile’s new relationship, reference being made in this connection to Resolution II¹⁶ of the Final Act of the Rio Conference. From recent reports, it is assumed that you have given due and thorough consideration, in consultation with the Chilean Government, to the anti-sabotage control program which is essential in this connection, but additional consideration should be given to this matter at once.

7) Chilean measures for the control of subversive activities should be followed in considerable detail, especially the movement of enemy aliens from southern Chile into Argentina. It is assumed that prevention of such a movement would require personnel additional to that now available to the Chilean police. Proper implementation of the recent Security law should help in solving this problem. It is believed that the Committee on Political Defense in Montevideo,¹⁷ of which Chile is a member, can also be of assistance in this respect, if it should be approached by the Chilean Government in case of need.

Hull

14. For correspondence on the Third Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the American Republics held at Rio de Janeiro January 15–28, 1942, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. v, pp. 6 ff. For text of resolutions, see Department of State Bulletin, February 7, 1942, pp. 117–141; the resolution on telecommunications is Resolution XL, ibid., p. 140.
15. For comment on the Inter-American Conference on Systems of Economic and Financial Control, held at Washington June 30–July 10, 1942, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. v, pp. 58 ff. For text of resolutions, see Pan American Union, Congress and Conference Series No. 39: Final Act of the Inter-American Conference on Systems of Economic and Financial Control (Washington, 1942).
16. Department of State Bulletin, February 7, 1942, p. 119.
17. For correspondence concerning this committee, see pp. 2 ff.