710.Consultation(2)/55: Telegram
The Minister in Bolivia (Jenkins) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:35 p.m.]
49. Reference to the Department’s telegram Number 26, June 21, 4 p.m. Minister for External Affairs last night informed the Legation and this morning reiterated that he had received suggestion from Brazilian Government that meeting be held at Rio de Janeiro and that he had strong intimations from representatives of several other South American Governments that for geographic and climatic reasons Habana would not be considered satisfactory. He thought that meeting place in a South American capital would assure attendance of Foreign Ministers instead of hastily appointed delegates and that delay until July 15, in the absence of dangerous emergency, would vouchsafe greater success. He says he has cabled his views to the Bolivian Minister at Washington. The Foreign Minister added, confidentially that he was convinced from his conversations with Latin American diplomats here that Cantilo and Aranha would not go to Habana and that it was in any event practically impossible to reach Habana before July 1st. The Foreign Minister failed to say definitely whether or not the Bolivian Government would send a representative to Habana. In the course of conversation the Foreign Minister again expressed the hope that Secretary Hull himself will attend conference as he regards his presence as of utmost importance.