823.00/302
The Special Assistant (Fletcher)5 to the Secretary of State
[Extract]
[Washington,] August 1,
1919.
Dear Mr. Secretary: I had a long interview with Pezet,6 who left the accompanying memorandum.7 The gist of his argument in favor of Leguia’s recognition is: [Page 732]
- First: That he was really elected by the people at the recent elections.
- Second: That the Pardo Government was about to declare the election indecisive and throw it into the Congress, which might, and probably would, have chosen some one else.
- Third: That the Leguia coup prevented civil war, which would have resulted had the Pardo Government attempted to carry out its plans.
- Fourth: That the change has been made without bloodshed, and that the new regime is generally accepted by the people.
- Fifth: That Leguia, as Provisional President, has called elections for a new Congress to assemble on September fifteenth, which will act as a Constitutional Assembly for thirty days to consider and pass upon the changes which he proposes to make in the Constitution, and which have already been submitted to the people to be voted upon.
- Sixth: These proposed changes are found in Exhibit One8 of the memorandum attached, and seem to be sound and beneficial.
. . . . . . .
Henry P.
Fletcher
- Ambassador to Mexico, on duty in the Department of State.↩
- Federico Alfonso Pezet, in the United States on special mission. See also telegram of July 5 from the Consul General at Callao-Lima, p. 722.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Decree of July 10; for text, see telegram of July 11 from the Minister in Peru, p. 726.↩