824.77/303: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Bolivia (Jenkins)

31. Your 62, August 7, noon. On August 6 the Bolivian Minister was given a memorandum26 which after referring to the pertinent resolution at the Habana meeting regarding the proposed Arica to Santos railroad continued “In keeping with the spirit of this recommendation, arrangements are being made whereby an engineer of the Corps of Army Engineers and an assistant will proceed to La Paz, Bolivia, in order to make a thorough engineering and economic survey of the desirability, feasibility and cost of building those sections of the railway which have not yet been completed.” There has been no commitment to finance the construction of any part of this railway.

No publicity is being given here of the sending of these engineers and the Bolivian Minister has indicated that the Bolivian Foreign Minister will be satisfied for the time being to make this commitment known confidentially to the Bolivian Congress in secret session.

Welles
  1. Not printed.