Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War, 1939/25878: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)

Washington, November 23, 1942—midnight.

1434. Your 2027, November 21, 3 p.m. The Department does not feel that it can accede to the request of the Chilean authorities that certain of the armament set forth in a list handed to the Chilean Ambassador by the Under Secretary last August be made available to Chile prior to Chile’s rupture of relations with the Axis. The reasons for this position are as follows:

(1)
In the matter of arms and munitions, Chile was for some months after the outbreak of the war treated on a par with those American republics which either declared war on the Axis or break [broke] relations and which, in general, lived up to their inter-American commitments. So far as actual amounts of arms and munitions sent, Chile’s position compares very favorably with that of many other of these republics. This attitude on the part of the Government of the United States was based upon our belief, as a result of many [Page 39] authoritative and official expressions reported by you, that Chile intended to comply with her obligations.
(2)
In view of the above, the other American republics which have taken all possible measures to protect the security of the continent, would fail to understand continued treatment of Chile, a country which by its failure to act has endangered the security of the continent, on an equal basis with them.
(3)
In our judgment, Chile has now been supplied with all of the arms and munitions which she requires for her present needs, in view of her failure to give any positive indication of a desire to contribute to continental security.
(4)
So long as Chile maintains relations with the Axis, all details regarding arms and munitions which might be sent to Chile, as well as the disposition, location and use of such arms and munitions would be immediately made known to the Axis, thus reducing materially the potential value of such arms and munitions in the defense of Chile and of the continent.

Hull