724.3415/4337: Telegram
The Chargé in Brazil (Gordon) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9 p.m.]
318. Department’s 169, November 14, 2 p.m. Due to the national holiday yesterday Minister for Foreign Affairs was not accessible until early this afternoon.
He stated that the Brazilian Minister to Switzerland had only just received from the Secretary General of the League a written request similar to the one addressed to us.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs further stated that the views of the Brazilian Government concurred with those of our Government as set forth in your telegram with the following exception: With regard to the final clause in our answer to the League stating that if a time should come in the future when in our opinion we could usefully cooperate with the League Committee we would so inform the Secretary General. The Minister said he realized that this did not commit us to such cooperation: However, in accordance with his consistent attitude (e. g. Embassy’s 254, October 1, 6 p.m.) he felt that an answer couched in these terms would not clearly enough assert the principle that cooperation with a League Committee under any conditions would be impossible for Brazil as a nonmember of the League.
He proposed, therefore, to conclude his answer with a statement to the effect that if in the future a time should come when Brazil would feel that she could usefully take “parallel action” in furtherance of peace in the Chaco she would so inform the Secretary General.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs further told me (requesting that you treat it as absolutely confidential) that he proposed sending a personal telegram to “his great friend,” Harold Butler of the International Labor Bureau, setting forth to him informally for such use as he could make of it the Minister’s views, including his belief that mediatory efforts initiated by Brazil and the United States offered the best hope of effective results. To his mind the League is doomed to failure in its present Chaco efforts and will have a very awkward time finding a formula to conceal such failure so that a suggestion of this kind might be developed into something in the nature of a face saver and likewise bring about a quicker resumption of more effective efforts; if the League should eventually express the hope that the United States and Brazil would resume the initiative of further mediatory efforts this would necessarily mean that the Argentine would be asked by us both to collaborate.
I was somewhat astonished at this, to me, entirely new departure, and indicated that this seemed to be quite a step in advance, to which [Page 108] the Minister replied that the proposed telegram would be purely private and personal with a view to finding as quickly as possible a way out of what he deems the present impasse. He promised to give me a copy of the telegram as soon as it has been sent.
In conclusion the Minister requested me to reiterate to you that as heretofore the Brazilian Government is extremely desirous of continuing to work in complete harmony with us in this matter, and asks to be advised concerning all developments.