723.2515/2389a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Collier)
102. Ambassador Cruchaga called today to say that he had received a telegram last night from his Government stating that it would answer my memorandum13 today. … I told Ambassador frankly that unless there was some prospect of a settlement and a request by Chile to hold the matter up in Arica, I felt I could not request Lassiter to postpone decision further; that he would be [Page 458] allowed to go ahead and dispose of plebiscite as he thought best; and that, in my opinion, he would declare the plebiscite off.
Cruchaga said that he recommended to Chilean Government that they concede a Bolivian corridor including the railway, but of course he does not know what reply will be made to this proposition.