724.3415/276: Telegram
The Minister in Paraguay (Kreeck) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 15—11 p.m.]
32. Answering the Department’s telegram 15, December 13, 7 p.m.,67 received at the Legation December 14, 3 p.m., inexcusable delay for double priority message.
I immediately advised the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs who expressed gratification of the act and dispatched their accord and acceptance in an official note numbered 970 which was [Page 692] received at the Legation at 6 o’clock this afternoon. Text of the note follows:
“Mr. Minister: I have had today the pleasure of receiving the visit of Your Excellency made with the object of transmitting to me a message from the Most Excellent Mr. Kellogg which expresses the anticipation that the Conference of Conciliation and Arbitration may offer its good offices to Paraguay and Bolivia for the settlement of the conflict pending between the two countries and that he desires that every act opposed to the maintenance of peace be avoided.
It is superfluous to repeat to Your Excellency that which I have said in divers official documents of extensive diffusion which is that my Government does not consider itself culpable for the incident which occurred the fifth of the month near Fort Galpon, that she has taken the lead in proposing that there be opened an impartial investigation of the evidence to discern the responsibility and finally that she does not avoid any proceeding destined to solve the conflict by peaceable means.
I fulfill with pleasure a charge from the Most Excellent President of the Republic of Paraguay in saying to you that Paraguay will not be the one who breaks the bounds of sanity or provokes a war.
In thanking Your Excellency, etc., signed Zubizarreta, Paraguayan Minister for Foreign Affairs.”
In the following words the President charged me to make known to Secretary Kellogg his personal appreciation of the offer:
“Tell your Government I give my most solemn promise that nothing shall be done by this Government to mar or hinder the tender of good offices by the Conference which I heartily welcome.”
Notice of Bolivian mobilization of troops on the Pilcomayo has reached Asunción.
Through the Spanish Chargé d’Affaires, the Spanish Government offers its good offices “although it recognizes that exhortation to peace made by adequate organisms and believe as the mother country that it fulfills an indispensable and very honorable duty in uniting its voice to that of said organisms.”
Confidentially, it was stated European intervention is not desired.
- See footnote 65 supra.↩