825.00 Revolutions/143: Telegram
The Ambassador in Chile (Culbertson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 8—3:44 a.m.]
125. The return of Ibañez21 has created a new political situation which is confused. It seems that some persons in the Government including Dávila did not favor his return at this time but that others including the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Finance not only favored but aided and abetted it. The carabineros are friendly to Ibañez but several of the Army units and the Navy still look to other leadership. The Union Club group now favors Ibañez and naturally his old supporters believe that he is about to inaugurate a regime of peace and prosperity. No one can say at this time how he will enter the political scene. He may merely remain for the time being behind the scenes as the strong man. The belief, however, is general that his influence will remain and increase.
Conferences have been going on all day between Dávila and Ibañez. The Junta except Dávila and the Cabinet has resigned. At this late hour reports are still fragmentary. They indicate that Ibañez will not be in the Government for the present but that Dávila will continue as Provisional President with Lagos as Minister of National Defense. The belief is expressed that this Dávila regime will last only a few days.
A writer in El Imparcial this evening, who probably voices the sentiment of the better civilian class, says in part:
“The present authorities in the Moneda represent only an emergency solution. Solely for this reason the country has accepted them. Without force of their own, without the decided support of the Left or of the Right or of the lower, middle or higher classes, they constitute a group destined temporarily to carry the country through a difficult moment, and nothing more. … There will be no tranquility in the country until a normal condition is restored to our institutions on the basis of discipline and under the protection of authority. We can expect this only from Mr. Ibañez whose influence over the forces of order is well known and whose good purposes have been made evident during his exile. Chileans of good intentions who still hesitate should realize at this time that the success of the government of Mr. Ibañez will depend in a large measure on the cooperation and good spirit of the conscientious and honorable people of the country.”
- July 6, 1932.↩