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    "ocrText": "PSF\nChile\n1942\nPSF Chile Folder\nfigured\nSantiago, January 5,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nI am inclosing copy of a memorandum of a remarkable\nconversation with my covering despatch with comments.\nIt is now clear it seems that an agreement has been reached between\nRios and the Radicals on one side, and Schnake and the Sociolists on the\nother. Both will be candidates. With three in the field no one can get\nthe absolute majority necessary, and this will throw the election into\nCongress where the Leftists have a large majority. The two highest\ncandidates only go to Congress. Supposing that Ibanez is one of the\ntwo ,the other will be Rios or Schnake and if the former all the\nSociolists in Congress will support him, and should it be Schnake, the\nRadicals in Congress will support him.\nMy impression is that Schnake will be the man to go to Congress ,and\nit is certain, I think, if he has any fund at all. A proposition has been\nmade to Siebert of the Branden Cooper Company A man will ask\nto buy 5000 tons of copper at the Chilean price If the sale is made\nit will be sold in Argentine to people who are pro-ally, certainly not\nto the enemy or to any one on the Black List ,and this will realize\n9,000,000 pesos. This would be all that Schnake will need. Siebert\nhas told this man who approached him that it would be all right with\nhim but that he would have to be instructed from the home office.You\nwill know whether it would be wise to have some one say to the\nhome office that the 5000 ton should be sold. he The Embassy here\nhas nothing to do with it ,and does not even know about it--if you\nknow what I mean.\nI am informed that Alessandri is thinking of announcing within a few\ndays. That, if true,and it seems too a bsurd, would, in my opinion,\ndivide the Rightest minority and defeat Ibanez . It is barely poss-\nible that this is the primary object of Alessandri who is very vain\nand jukiand jealous and resents Ibanez picturing himself daily in\nfull page advertisements as the great past President Alessandri\nstarted out with Ibanez ,and I suspect with the thought that the\nlatter would abandon the field and turn to him. But it is now quite\nclear that Ibanez has no such thought and two weeks ago Alessandri\nbroke away.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely\nNon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nClauds HBowers\nThe White House.\nPSFICHILE\nNo.2359\nSantiago, January 5, 1942\nSubject:\nA Pro-Ibanez Interview with Members of the Staff\nThe Honorable\nThe Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\nSir:\nI have the honor to enclose herewith a memorandum\nof a conversation at a luncheon to which Mr. Carlos Griffin,\nan extreme Rightist, who represents the New York Times\nhere none too efficiently, invited Mr. Brooks and Mr. Lyon\nof my staff, and at which Señor Jaime Larrain, who is\nknown as the \"royalist of Chile\", was present.\nI personally have no confidence in Carlos Griffin\npolitically.\nSeñor Jaime Larrain was formerly head of the important\nAgricultural Society and & bitter enemy of the late President\nAguirre Cerda and all he stood for here. His organization,\nthe Society, is the most reactionary organization in Chile,\ncomposed of and dominated by the old feudal landowners. I\nhave attended dinners of this Society for distinguished\nvisitors\n- 2 -\nvisitors and at the last one Señor Olavarria, former\nMinister of the Interior, and responsible for the suppression\nof the anti-Nazi films, and looked upon as pro-German if not\npro+Nazi, was given a prolonged ovation that was staged.\nI do not believe Larrain's story about Ibanez's relations\nwith the German Embassy for reasons formerly set forth. That\nLarrain is a Spanish Falangist, if not actually pro-Nazi, I am\nsure.\nThe statement that Ibafiez is not being financially backed\nby the German Embassy and the Spanish Falangists, composed\nof rich Chileans, is contrary to everything I hear from other\nquarters.\nThe assertion that he is being financed by the brother-in-\nlaw of Gustavo Ross, Señor Arturo Lopez Pérez, is probably\ntrue since I have heard this from many quarters.\nThe assertion that Ibaflez is \"absolutely pro-American\"\nis interesting in view of the fact that for weeks he made\nspeeches and inserted full page advertisements without once\nintimating that he stood for continental solidarity or defense\nand certainly not for solidarity with the United States.\nThis unquestionably hurt his candidacy since Chileans feel\nit would not do to elect a President who might be abnoxious\nto us under existing economic conditions. Finally, as\nreported, he gave an interview to the Chilean correspondent\nof the Detroit News saying what the other candidates had\nsaid from the beginning. In view of the attitude of the\nTotalitarians toward the truth, this does not greatly impress\nme. However, I am sure that should Ibafiez be elected he\nwould feel it necessary to 80 with us, but I am sure that\nanything we asked of him would find its way to the German\nEmbassy.\nLarrain's story that Ibafiez had \"fought with Von Marees\"\nis news in Santiago, especially since it 18 generally under-\nstood that Von Marees' young Nazis are working in Ibanez\nheadquarters. And Von Marees 18 the most pronounced Nazi\nand the most bitter enemy of the United States in the country.\nWe know absolutely that about two weeks ago Ibanez and Von\nMarees had a secret conference at a private house.\nI cannot believe for & moment that Señor Schnake, whom\nI know well and whose views as to Ibañez I have been told\nby him, has entered into any such agreement as 1s indicated.\nA8 to Larrain himself, 8.8 Minister of Foreign Affairs,\nI have never seen or heard anything that would encourage me\nto believe that he is a friend of the United States.\nYou will observe that Ibafiez proposes to scrap the\npresent Constitution, which is democratic, and to create a\nnew form of government based on the theories of Hitler,\nMussolinia and Franco.\nLarrain's observations on Rossetti do not impress me.\nI know where he stands 8.8 to Japan and what he has done in\nreference to Japan. I have also informed the Department of\nhis\n- 3 -\nhis reasons for not declaring war on Japan at this juncture\nand that he has no doubt but that While will be at war with\nJapan before very long. But he wants the aggressive act\nto come from Japan, not Chile.\nI note, too, with interest Mr. Larrain's dislike for\nGonzalez Videla and Hector Arancibia Lasso. This is\nsignificant since these two men have gone the fulllimit\nas to solidarity with the United States and the latter is\nalmost extravagant in praise of the United States.\nThe comment of Carlos Griffin about the Embassy can\nonly be based on the Embassy 8 silence and the rumors\nin the streets, growing out of the generally conceived\npopular 1dea of Ibafiez associating with the Naxis and the\nFifth Columnists. I do not think it 1sin the least proper\nfor me to have a conference withIbaNez or any other candi-\ndate for the Presidency, since it would be open to misin-\nterpretation and would certainly not long be a. secret -\nin Chile My conviction 1s that we should not conceal the\nfact that we are following the campaignbut that we are\ntaking no part and saying absolutely nothing.\nRespectfully yours,\nCLAUDE G. BOWERS\nCGB:LRL\nMEMORANDUM:\nJanuary 2, 1942.\nConversation between\nCarlos Griffin, New York Times representative\nJaimo Larrain Garcia Moreno\nClarence Brooks, First Secretary\nCecil Lyon, Second Secretary\nToday Carlos Griffin invited Clarence Brooks and myself to lunch\nwith him and Jaine Larrain García Moreno. All indications were that\nthe luncheon had been arranged in order that Jaime Larrain could get\nhis views about the presidential elections over to us. lie is managing\nIbáliez's campaign, and one of the first things he told us was that he\nis spending 30,000 posos a day on newspaper and radio propaganda. While\nhe did not say so directly, he intimated that most of the money was\nbeing supplied by Mr. Arturo LOPEZ Perez, who he said is the richest\nman in South America (formerly he owned the Galórie Lafayette, in\nParis, and is said to have gotten most of his fortune, consisting of\n1,800,000,000 pesos, out of Europe before the war and has recently\ntransferred most of it to the United States. He is a brother-in-law\nof Gustavo Ross.) Selior Larrain said it was fantastic to think, as he\nhad hoard, that considerable sums for General Ibáñez's campaign were\nbeing contributed by the German Embassy. Larrain hinself said he had\nhad a terrific fight with Baron von Schoon at the beginning of the\nwar, for at that time Larrain was President of the Sociedad Nacional\nde Agricultura and very pro-French, as he has always been. In speak-\ning over the radio he referred to the atrocities of the Germans, and\nwas immediately brought to task by Baron von Schoon in a throatening\nletter in which Baron von Schoen intimated that he would bring pressure\non the Chilean Government forces to silence Larrain, thus taking advan-\ntage of Larrain's unfavorable position vis-a-vis the present government.\nSince then Baron von Schoen has tried to make up, but Larrain will have\nnothing to do with him.\nSellor Larrain insists that General Ibáñez is absolutely pro-Ameri-\ncan, wishes to cooperate with the United States entirely and is all in\nfavor of Western Hemisphere defense. He says that the story that he\nis pro-Axis has beon started by his political enemies. I inquired\nas to whether it did not possibly come from Ibáliez's close association\nwith Jorge González von Mareés. Señor Larrain answered this by saying\nthat Ibáfioz had fought with González von Maroés and that whether or\nnot González von Mareés's party was supporting him now was uncertain.\nHe said, however, that Ibálioz would receive the support of most of the\nConservatives, the Liberals, the Agrarians, and, in the end, the sup-\nport of the Socialists, for he and Schnako had entered into an agree-\nment that Schnake would be one of his cabinet ministers. Other of his\ncabinet ministors would be: Interior, General Burgoho; Finance, Julio\nBascuñan, with Counselor Arturo López Péroz. Schnake will probably\ncontinue in the Ministry of Fomento; Foreign Affairs, Juine Larrain,\nand probably some portfolio would be given to Rossetti, who is also\nsupporting Ibálioz. (Sellor Larrain said that most of the people in\nthe Foreign Office at present who had merely come in since the present\ngovernment and were not career, would be changed. I recall that the\nname of Fernando Orrego WELS montioned as among those to be eliminated.)\nlie asked if Carlos Dávila had replied to the tologram sent by Gone-\nral Ibálioz asking him to be Ambassador in Washington. Sehor Larrain\nsaid that he thought he had replied but had requested that his reply\nbe kept confidential.\nSeñor Oriffin put a number of questions to Sehor Larrain, and\n-2-\n-2-\nBrooks and I felt as though they were being arranged for our benefit.\nAmong other things, Señor Larrain said that, were Ibáliez elected, and\nhe felt that he had a better than good chance to be, he would form a\nunicameral system of government, with representatives of agriculture,\nindustry, bankers, ecclesiastics, educators, etc., which would act as\nCongress. This, he admitted, would require a constitutional amendment.\nMoreover, Ibáñez would insist upon a strong government and would do\neverything possible to help the United States win the war.\nWe asked Sehor Larrain what he thought would be the results of the\nRío Conference (he himself having been President of the Chilean dele-\ngation to the Buenos Aires Conference). He said that he thought it\nwould result in a further solidifying of inter-American cooperation.\nHe said that, while he respected Rossetti, he did not think he was a\ngood Foreign Minister, and said that if, for example, Rossetti wanted\nto create a more pro-American atmosphere in South America, he could do\nso by harping on the Japanese threat, for while Chileans merely laugh\nat an Italian threat and are not over-impressed by a German threat,\nthe Japanese threat is very real to them. They realize that if the\nAmerican fleet were defeated Japan would como here and seize the copper\nmines. For that reason General Ibálioz and his advisers consider it\nsupremely important to support the position of the United States. When\nI suggested that if the Foreign Minister attempted to over-omphasi ze\nthe Japanese threat it might result in a policy of hold-off on any\nmeasures against the Japanese, Señor Larrain said that this wouldn't\nbe the Spanish reaction; \"We couldn't conceive of ourselves being domi-\nnated by a 'yellow' race, and we would want to fight then before they\nattacked us,\" he exclaimed. Selior Larrain is for all the Americas de-\nclaring war on Japan immediately, and if he had his may he would ship\nall the Japanese in Chile back to Japan immediately.\nSefior Larrain was constantly referring to the danger of Communism\nin Chile, and intimated that the Leftists would be forced to select\na candidate who had the support of the Communists. He said that today or\ntomorrow, or at least very shortly, the Radicals would be forced to\nwithdraw their support from Rios, and said that he t hought that the\nCommunist influence in their party would require then to choose González\nVidela or Héctor Arancibia Lasso, or possibly Señor Méndez.\nI said to Sehor Larrain that I had heard the Army was not in favor\nof General Ibáliez because when he had last been President he had inter-\nested himself too much in their affairs, to which Sehor Larrain replied,\n\"That's Alessendri's propaganda.\" He also said that Señor Alessandri\nwas not supporting Ibánez because he would give hissupport to no one\nbut Sehor Alessandri.\nAfter Señor Larrain had left, Señor Griffin indicated that he con-\nsidered the luncheon had been a good idea \"to end the war between the\nAmerican Embassy and the Conservative elements in the country.\" Mr.\nBrooks said that he didn't think any war existed, but SeHor Griffin was\nof the opinion that at loast there had been some misunderstanding, and\nindicated that he thought it would be advantageous if the Ambassador\nhad an opportunity to talk with Sefior Larrain, or even with General\nIbáñez, at an intimate luncheon such as today. He felt that much good\nwould come of such a meeting.\nCBL:ed\nChile Folder\nfilgersonal\nValparaiso ,January 16,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nAfter one solid hectic year at my desk I am taking a\nmuch needed vacation while the Foreign Office 18 at Rio. I had written\nWelles in detail about Rossetti, his tendencies, his characrer, his weaknesses\nand his stoub declarations to me that he would stand with the United\nStates and Brazil.\nThe campaign here is interesting and bitter . Heavily financed, Ibanez\n2d\nthreaten to abe a dangerous contender. especially when the Lefts were\nquarreling among themselves and not uniting on a si)/ngle candidate. At\nlength they have awakened to the danger and have united on Rios. This\nwas made possible by the patriotic sacrifice of Schnak e who withdrww\nin the interesta of a united front. He was by long odds our best bet and\nthis was the strong opinion alsod of the British and Mexican Embassies.\nBut he is out.\nIt is difficult to figure how Ibanez can possible be elected. There are\n450,000 voters end the chosen man must have a clear majoriry ,or more\nthan 250,000. The parties are registered and their strength known.\nThe Left parties are as follows:\nRadicals 95,000\nSociolists 2 80,000\nDemocrats 30,000\nFalangists (nothing to do with the Spainsih, 20,000\nAgrarians 20,000\nIndependents 15,000\nTo this the Lefts add 20,000 Conservative and Liberal members who are\nin revolt against their party's nomination of Ibanez.\nIn addition, the Communists have now decided to support Rio in\npreference to One Ibanez, though Rio is not their friend .Theyhave\n9\n50,000. Where can Ibanez get 251,000 votes. The other night at a\ndinner I Cruchaga figured it all out and confessed he could not see\nhow Ibanez could be elected.\nThere is a feeling here that Ibanez will not do since Chilpi is\ndependent on supplies from the States and that the States does not\ntrust Ibanez. I have instructed the Embassy staff to say nothing\nand mereky report, and I have read to the American business interests\nhere Hulls telegram to the effext that we frown on Americans mixing\nin elections away from home. But Ibanez has been sending people to\nthe Embassy asking for an pk appointment with me. That is one reason\nI am on vacation. Were I to see him it would be known by everyone\ni/n Chile and the Ibanez people would cite that meeting by word\nof mouth as proof that we are for their candidate. I have instructed\nthe staff not to mix and not to go to functions for one candidate\nor the other. In my absence the wife of the President of the\nConservat ive party who has attacked us in the Senate invited Cecil\nLyon of my staff. to a dinner in honor of Ibanez. It seems that\nsome one,advised him to go. He had tried to get out of it but\nthe hostess called him up and insisted. He went. Now he is\nstricken because all the papers told of the dinner dn honor of\nIbanez and gave Lyons of the American Embassy as one of the guests.\nThe purpose was served. I have just sent Lyons a reprimand.\nMy personal opinion that Ibanez is the candidate of our enemies is\nbased on these undisputed facts.\n(I) He has the active support of every Nazi ijn Chile.\n(2) Of every Italian facist in Chile\n(3) Ofevery Spanish Falangist in Chile.\nwho\n(4) of the party of von Marees the most fanatic Nazi in Chile be attacks us\nregularly in Congress.\n(5) Bf The Aleman ,the Nazi organ in Chile.\n(6) of the Chilena, an organ financed by the German Embassy.\nThat is enough for me. A dog is known by the company it keeps.\nMy impression is that should Ibanez fail of election the cry of \"fraud\" will\nbe raised and he will attempt the coup d'etat he has been figuring on all along.\nHe has madet twoattempts by nazi methods to overthrow the regime of Aguerre\nCerda. If elected of course we could force him to do as we say since Chile\nwould collapse economivcally without supplies from us. But if the fortunes of\nwar should at any time turn against us he would go over to theenemy at once.\nAnd in the meanwhile I would feel that any confidential conversations we might\nhave with him would be passed on to the enemy. At best he would be like the\nacting President in Argentine.\nHe has the support of \"the best people\", meaning the old feudal land owners and\nB ig Business,--as Mussolibi had in Italy, Hitler in Germany and Franco in\nSpain. I am afraid that some of our own people would like to help finance him.\nBig Business never learns.\nI wrote you recently as I did because the British Embassy wanted it and the\nMex ican. Both were willing to do something. That is over now.\nRiosi is of the extreme right wing of the Radicals, very reactionary ,but\ndemocratic. He has a good following among business men. No one of them is afraid\nof him. The communists will support him under protest because he would\ngive them their constitutional rights and they think Ibanez would start in\nshooting\nI shall try to evade an interview with Ibanez. If unable to do 80 I shall\nmake it as public as possible and shall then have an interview with Rios.\nBut even so that would be interpreted by the Ibanez people as meaning that\nboth are satisfactory. I shall not return to Santiago until the 28th and\nI hope it will then be too late. My instinct is to refuse to have a\nconference or discussion with either candidate on the ground that we have\ninstructions to stand absolutely aloof from the campaign\nCarlos Davila apparently has been bought with the promise of the\nis\nAmbassadorship in Washington. He has replied to Ibaenz offer with the\nstout assurance that Ibanez is all right with us and the Ibanez papers\nare saying publicly that this means he has the assurance from the Government\nof the United States: I recall that Welles does not have much confidence\nin Davilla.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon. Franklin D.Roosevelt\nclaude y Bower\nTge White House.\ndepartment OF STATE\nTHE SECRETARY\nThe puth his copy ok Folder\nJanuary 16, 1942.\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT.\nOn February 1 there will be elections in Chile to\nselect the new President to take the place of President\nAguirre Cerda, who died. In the last few days Gen-\neral Carlos Ibañez del Campo has emerged as the leading\ncandidate. All our reports indicate that Ibañez is sym-\npathetic to the Axis. He is a frequent attendant at the\nGerman Club and moves in Axis circles in Chile.\nThe opponents of Ibañez, through friends in the\nUnited States, are endeavoring to raise funds in this\ncountry. In view of the possibility that this matter\nmay be brought to your attention, may I present the fol-\nlowing considerations:\n(1) This Government signed and the Senate ratified\ntreaties at the Montevideo and Buenos Aires conferences\nby which this country specifically pledged itself not to\nintervene in the internal or external affairs, directly\nor indirectly, of any American country. The donation of\nfunds by this Government or by United States citizens\nwould be a definite violation of these treaty commitments.\n(2) The confidence in the United States which the\nother\n-2-\nother American republics now have arises precisely because\nthe United States has scrupulously refrained from inter-\nmeddling in the internal concerns of these countries.\nThis confidence is the most precious asset that the United\nStates now possesses in the other American republics.\nInterference in the internal Chilean political scene might\nlose this confidence overnight.\n(3) The Chilean political situation is still in\nflux. There are two candidates in opposition to Ibañez.\nNegotiations are now going on in an endeavor to agree\nupon a single opposition candidate. If these negotiations\nare successful and a single candidate selected, accept-\nable to all groups, the possibility of the election of\nIbañez would appear to be very doubtful. He would have\narrayed against him not only all the democratic forces in\nChile but also a large part of the voting strength of the\ntwo important Chilean parties technically supporting him,\nsince this part has publicly announced its opposition to\nIbañez's candidacy and its willingness to support any\nsatisfactory candidate opposed to Ibañez.\nC\nCH\nChile Folder\ndepartment OF STATE\nTHE SECRETARY\nJanuary 19, 1942\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT.\nIn further regard to the Chilean situation, the\nnegotiations for the designation of a single candidate\nin opposition to Ibañez have been successful. As a re-\nsult all of the principal parties in opposition to Ibañez\nare agreed in support of the candidacy of one Antonio Rios\nwho favors support of the democracies as an external\npolicy and is sympathetic to moderate reform as an internal\npolicy.\nAll signs would point to the strong probability that\nRios will receive a majority of votes in the forthcoming\nelections on February 1.\nCH\nChile Folder\nSatiago January 23,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nI have just come from the foreign office and learn that\ninstructions are being sent by telephone to Rossetti to support the last\nBrazilian resolution .I cannot subscribe to the theory that Chile's attitude\ndenotes the slightest disposition to do anything other than to go with us ,and\nits\nI know that she has been fearful of a surprise attack on his coast ,25eo miles\nlong. Since this is a very slender country most of its vital industries, power\nplants etc are on the coast, not in the interior ,and she has been ready all\nalong to go with us with a positive assurance that we will actually provide our\nown ships and planes for observation and defence purposes. I know no American\nhere where we know the facts who thinks this is unreasonable\nThe election ,judged by statistics of former electionsk, should go by a large\nmajority to Rios and I think it will but I would not care to make a wager.\nIbanez has a campaign fund without precedent in Chile and it is estimated that\nhe is spending close to a million pesos a day. Then he has a compact, throughly\norganized Nazi organization and a Falangist organization (Francoists) which are\ndedicating themselves feverishly to his cause. In addition to all this I have\nevidence all around that because of the high cost of living, in contrast to\nconditions where he was President but for which he was not responsible, ,and\nbecause of his Nazi-like assurance that he will bring down the cost of living, he\nhas a remarkably strong support among the lower middle classes regardless of\nparty. Yesterday at La Union he was given a banquet at the German Club.\nThe danger, I think, is that should he not be defeated by a most decisive\nvote he will attempt for the third time his coup d'etat immediately after the\nelection. There has been no fear of his attempts along this t line in\ngovernmental circles so long as they were merely a close corporation con-\nspiracy among a few army officers and without popular support. But his\ncandidacy arrays behind and with him thousands who may be lead into a coup\nwho had no patience with his other attempts. The Army apparently would resist\nanything of the sort, but I hear disturbing stories about the Caribaneros who\nwere organized by him.\nBy all the rules of logic Rios should be elected ,but the fact remains that\nno one can say with any certainty what may happen. This because of the attitude\nof the German and Italian and Spanish totalitarians I am shocked by the\nalmost hysterical support being given him by the Catholic paper, La Illustrada.\nIt gives almost the whole paper over to Ibanez. Of course such outstanding\nCatholic laymen as Cruchaga and Senator Irranr Eranx Errazuriz, both of whom\npretend to like the United States are for Ibanez .One however is honorary\nPresident of the Friends of Germany and the other of Friends of Japan. Both\nare said to have resigned since we entered the war but they have spared the\nfeelings of the Germans and Japs by keeping any mention of it out of the papers.\nOf course Ibanez pretends to be our great admirer, and if elected can be\nkept in line by threats of ecobnomic reprisals ,but his friends and associates\nare entirely among the Nazi and totalitarian groups. It is a pity that Rios\nwhile a reasonably able man and a good looking man is without color or dramatic\nappeal.\nWarmest regards,\nHon. Franklin D.Roosevelt\nSincerely,\nThe White House.\nClaude yowes\nChile Folder\nCH\n1-42\nKOR\nJanuary 24, 1942.\nMy dear Mr. President:\nYou will recall several recent telegrams from Ambas-\nsador Bowers urging that certain military and naval\nmatériel immediately be made available to Chile in order\nto put it in a position to repel the aggression from\nJapan it appears so much to fear. The War and Navy\nDepartments reviewed their supply situation and authorized\nme to send a telegram setting forth & list of matériel\nwhich could be made available either immediately or in\nthe near future. Mr. Bowers has now sent a message in-\ndicating his opinion that the list is entirely inadequate\nand urging further reconsideration of the situation. It\ndoes not seem to me that Mr. Bowers appreciates the ex-\nceedingly heavy demands which are now being made on our\nwar production or that the War and Navy Departments, at\nyour direction, made a real effort to furnish to Chile\nwhatever they could spare.\nThere\nThe President,\nThe White House.\n-2-\nThere is submitted for your consideration a suggested\ntelegram to Mr. Bowers. If it meets with your approval I\nwill see that it is dispatched at once.\nThere are attached hereto copies of the messages be-\ntween Ambassador Bowers and the Department pertinent to\nyour consideration of this matter.\nFaithfully yours,\nCordell Bull\nEnclosures:\n1. Draft telegram to\nAmbassador Bowers.\n2. Copies of messages\nbetween Ambassador\nBowers and the Depart-\nment of State.\nX\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nJanuary 24, 1942.\nAMEMBASSY,\nSANTIAGO (CHILE).\nFROM THE PRESIDENT FOR THE AMBASSADOR.\nI have given the most careful personal consideration\nto the Chilean military and naval situation as described\nin your various communications to the Secretary of State.\nI fully appreciate the necessity for doing everything\npossible to enable Chile to resist attack from any of the\nAxis countries. Considerations both of hemisphere defense\nand of the importance to our own war effort of Chilean\nstrategic materials make this obvious.\nThe materials listed in the telegram transmitted\nto you on January 21 by the Department of State were made\navailable at my orders after consultation with General\nMarshall. You appreciate, I am confident, that the de-\nmand for war matériel is very great, not only by our own\nArmy and Navy but by the nations now fighting with us day\nand night. Production is increasing rapidly, however,\n-2-\nand more materials will be forwarded to Chile just as\nsoon 8.8 they become available.\nIt would be inexcusable to disregard the possibility\nof a Japanese hit-and-run attack on Chile. On the other\nhand, it would be equally inexcusable to suppose that any\nJapanese plan for such an attack would be in any way\naffected by the particular state of Chile's diplomatic\nor other relations with Japan at the time. Therefore, I\nhope that the \"full Chilean cooperation\" mentioned in\nyour telegram 136 will be immediately forthcoming, since\nit will be a most valuable contribution to the placing\nof both our countries in the best possible position to\nmeet all eventualities.\nFRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT\nRA:PWB\nPA/LD:DMZ\n(Repeat to AMDELGAT, RIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL)).\nfillers\nPSF:Chile Folder\nSantiago February 2,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nChile has just demonstrated in perfect form that she has a\nreal democracy, and that the people are essahtially and basimly democratic.\nAll the Axis Powers, including Spain, exerted themselves to the utmost for\nIbanez the totalitarian candidate who had the most collosal slush fund in\nChilean history. His people paid $7 a vote. Dispite this and the fact that the\ndemocratic coalition did not have enough money to pay transportation costs\nin getting their men to the polls from one town where they worked to their voting\ntown Rios has won by more than 50,000 majority, which is a big majority. The\npassionate democratic feeling here is illustrated by the fact that Alessandri,\nwho hates the groups that won emerged from his retirement to speak to more\nthan a hundred thousand people in support of Rios in a great oration in which\nhe said ,what I have written you before, that the issue was clear cut between\ndemocracy and totalitarianism. The issue was clear;the result so devisive that\nthat there is no danger of an Ibanez coup d'etat. Had the ma jority been slight\nthat would have been inevitable. As it is Ibanez had issued a statement accepting\nthe verdict of \"the urns\".\nThey have a democracy here;and that brings me to this hope --that we will not be\nto to o o impatient with democratic processes. The people here, ardent friends of ours\nincluded, have been afraid to challenge reprisals from the Axis by breaking off\ndiplomatic relations.So when Rossetti went to Rio it was with instructions from\nthe Government and from Congress to go along on everything but that . He was\nnot a free agent. He is not a dictator But I have been positive all along that\nthat he wishes ardently to stand well with us, and within a day or so after\nreaching Rio he sent a telegram to his Government, which was shown me before he\nreturned, asking fresh instructions to permit him to vote for breaking off\nrelations. It was a strong telegram. As a result the Government acquiesed but\nasked that the agreement be subject to ratification by Congress.\nI met Rossetti along with all the American and some European heads of missions\non his arrival at the air port where he got a great ovation. I noticed that\nnot only the German, Italian and Japanese were conspicuous by their absence ,but\nthat Luca de la Tena the Spnish Ambassador was not there. Whatever we may think\nthey all think that Rossetti was with us and against them.\nI have just seen Rossetti I saw him Friday evening when with him and Mendez m\nalove\nthe President, I sat at a widow of the Moneda for forty minutes wis watching the\n^\nassembling for the monster democratic mass meeting when Alessandri made his great\nspeech They both told me they had no doubt of ratification. This morning\nRossetti told me that he is going to the sea shore until the latter part of the\nweek for a much needed sleep ,and that he will return and resume his functions on\nFriday. He said the President proposes to give Congress a recess for twenty days\nsince he does not think it wise to throw the ratification question into Congress\nwhen its member have just emerged from a very bitter campaign. He wants the\nwaters to subside before venturing forth. And Rossetti wants some days for\npersonally canvassing the members of Congress. He says he had not any d oubt\nbut that Congress will ratify .I asked him about individual members of the\nOpposition--Cruchags mfor one. He says that Crufhaga will vote for ratification.\nColonel Baker has just come in with a telegram from the War Department\nabout doubling the number of Chilean officers with our army and saying that\nuntil Chile ratifies this cannot be done for Chile. I have told him with all the\nemphasis I can command that nothing S hould be done before the vote in Congress\nsince the doubling for other countries with Chile left out would create bitter\nresentments that inevitably might have a very grave effect on the result of that\nvote. In other words that nothing be done until after that vote. I am sure you\nwill agree that I am right .\nWellesd did & magnificent job in Rio. Rossetti is in rhapsodies about him\nand vain as a peacock over an authgraphed photograph of Welles who had written\nsome complimentary lines.\nWith W warmest regards,\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nSincerely, claude \"Bowers\nThe White House\nChile Folder\nfile mal\nSantiags Feby 4-1942\nbea us President:-\ns inclose a copy of\nletter to Neels Dear way when\nwe are about to wake a proposition\na you. D cave a telequaus saying\nto chile about sending some ques\nwith ameear soldies here for\nFre protection of Plo wines and power\nto be submitted Though Ple chlean\nplants. S get The impression Fer is\nambassador Af done and soon\nreacher before cougress after or\nthe natification of Ple about Res agreement The\n20th the Due Thing Feat the opposition\neare use will be sweat away.\nAf we intend to do thes. for walle Heavers\nsake lets do N before Dls\nof natification comes up.\nwith warmeatreparts\nsweerely claude glowes\nPSFiChile\nSantiago, February 4, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nRossetti gave a full exposition of the Rio Conference\nto the Council of Ministers yesterday and was warmly congratu-\nlated by his colleagues and by Mendez, who said that he had\nacted precisely in conformity with the instructions of the\nGovernment. I have heard much talk against Rossetti at Rio,\nand since it is evident that much of this 18 based on a lack\nof understanding both of his position and his power, I want\nto go on record on it.\n1) Nine tenths of the public men of all parties in Chile\nincluding bitter enemies of Germany and warm friends of the United\nStates, like Barros Jarpa, were absolutely opposed to break-\ning off diplomatic relations because of their coast line\nandwulnerability and their realization that they lacked the\nfacilities to defend themselves against a surprise attack.\nRossetti was miles ahead of nine-tenths in favor of complete\ncooperation with the United States.\n2) He went to Rio under iron clad instructions of the\nGovernment and Congress backed by the press without exception.\nHe could not violate his instructions.\nwas\n3) Two days after the meeting began he/telegraphed\nby Pedregal that he was reported weakening on his instructions\nand that he should take an advanced stand upon them.\n4) He telegraphed the Government asking release from\nthe instructions, strongly urging that he be instructed\nto go along with sentiment in favor of breaking relations,\nwhich was overwhelming in the Conference.\n5) As a result of his very strong representations, the\nGovernment then agreed to permit him to vote for breaking\noff relations provided it were stipulated that there should\nbe ratification by Congress. In other words there would\nhave been no agreement on this phase but for the fight\nRossetti made.\n6)\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\n-,2 -\n6) The ratification's hope is in the fight Rossetti\nwill undoubtedly make before Congress. Remember that\nneither Ortega, Saenz, Mora, Bianchi or Alamas had the\ncourage or enterprize to get a ratification for the agreements\nof Peru, Panama and Habana, and that Rossetti went to Con-\ngress, made the fight, spoke and fought for four hours and\ngot them all ratified. He 1s a powerful man in debate and\nvery effective and I hope he succeeds in getting the Rio\nratification promptly. He thinks he will. As a result of\nRio sentiment 1s changing here; fears are dissipating be-\ncause of the feeling now that we will help protect the Coast;\nand there 1s a general conviction that Chile cannot afford\nto stand aloof.\nJuan Antonio Rios, the new President, attended the\ncocktail of the Chile-American Society for the visiting\nAmerican journalists. I talked with him briefly. He 18 a\ntall, slender, fine looking man with iron grey hair and a\nfine eye, looking the President. However, he is not a genius\nor brilliant but he had good sound sense and is conservative\nin the better sense. He has not been favorable to breaking\nrelations in the past, but since the Rio Conference he has\ntaken no real position. Were he to intervene in Congress\nhe could do much harm but I have a feeling that since action\nwill be taken before he takes power he will stand aloof.\nI hope 80.\nChile certainly has shown any one but an American\n\"journalist\" that she is democratic, following democratic\nprocesses perfectly and in a dignified way in elections;\nand civilized, as few South Americannations are, after an\nelection. Ibanez even called to congratulate Rios. At\nthe cocktail, Aarrain, who managed Ibanez's campaign, was\npresent and most cordial to him. Cruz Coke, Senator Maza,\netc., were there and cordial. I have tried to convince\nthe American journalists here that this is \"news\". I do\nnot know with what success.\nSomeone has just sent me a clipping from the Washington\nStar by Allen Haden which shocks me. The purport 18 that\nwe are more disliked in Chile than in any country in South\nAmerica, though Haden knows Argentina. As a matter of fact\nwe are exceedingly popular with the overwhelming majority of\nthe Chileans. It is our cars of the Embassy that are often\ncheered in the streets. Haden spent muchof his time while\nhere with Wanmer, of the Coordinator's Office who was recall-\ned on my suggestion because he hated Chile and the Chileans,\nmade his hate manifest, wanted to blacklist the Catholic\norgan, EL DIARIO ILUSTRADO, etc., whichI stopped, and he\nwas cordially disliked by all Chileans andall American here.\nEvidently Haden accepted this man's stuff as gospel. I\nhad a higher opinion of Haden's profession intelligence.\nThe\n- 3 -\nThe two were together often and made a trip South together.\nHappily Haden's article has not been reproducted here.\nIt was McClintock of the Coordinator's Office who sized\nWarner up and demanded his recall.\nThe American journalists, making the return visit, have\nmade a very fine impression here and have been writting\narticles for the Chilean papers that are vêry useful. They\nhave been given & splendid reception.\nI have learned now that Cruchaga and Senator Max\nErrazuriz retain the honorary presidencies of the \"Friends\nof Germany\" and of the \"Friends of Japan\". I do not see\nhow I can invite to dinners at the Embassy the heads of\nthe organizations. We are at war with the nations of whose\norganizations they are official heads. I like Cruchaga very\nmuch and am sorry. I suppose I have had him to dinner\nfifteen times. of course I shall treat him with cordiality\nas before but I am sure you will agree that he has no place\nat an official American dinner so long as he retains his pos\nAlessandri and I have become great pals, exchaning\nletters and compliments constantly. I admire his great\nability but have been deterred from cultivating him until\nrecently because of his attitude toward the Government.\nThis is changed. He rose magnificently above party and\nprejudice and his really magnificent speech for Rios in\nmy opinion swept Santiago into the Rios column when the Rio\npeople had reconciled themselves to losing the City.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nClaude G. Bowers\nfinal\nChile Folder\nSantiago, February 20, I942\nDear Mr President:-\nI inclose copy of a letter from President-elect\nRios in which you will note that the special precoccupation of his\nadministration will be collaboration with all the American republics\n\"and most particularly with the great Democracy of the United States\nof America\". I am to see him for a long talk next week and shall go\ninto everything and particularly into the breaking of relations\nThere is a strange misconception at home regarding Rossetti at\nRio. We must bear in mind that Chile is a democracy ,not a dictator-\nship;that no one man can do as he pleases but must follow democratic\nprocesses; that the mission headed by Rossetti was under absolute\ninstructions against breaking relations at this juncture;and that\nhe could not do other than he was instructed. These\ninstructions\nwere\nin line with general public opinion here. I know, personally know, that\nwithin two days he began hammering the Government with requests for\na change in the instructions to permit him to go along And I am\nconvinced that the formula reached would have been impossible but for\nthe fight he was making all the ti me with his Government.\nThe agreements of Rio will go to Congress probably next week. It is\nRossettis plan first to ask for a vote of approval on his course at\nRio. That will be forthcoming. He will then immediately at the same\nmeeting ask that all the agreements reached at Rio be ratifiee. He\nnow has 8 card in his hand he has not had before--he is in position\nto inform Congress in secret session of the war material we are\nsending for the protection of the coast;since the one strong objec-\ntion to breaking relations has been that it would ne unwise to issue\na challenge without having anything with which to protect the coast.\nHe is clever and powerful in debate and has come through on more than\none occasion because of the fight he has made in Congress in debates\nin secret sessions I hope ,can only hope, he will succeed here.\nNo one opposing breaking relations doubts that this is\ninevitable and may come at any moment ,amd most agree that Chile\nwill be in the war soon. But many take the position that Chiles\nfriendship and support of the United States should follow the line\nour Government did in the V case of England until attacked. These\nof course, overlook the fact that Chile has agreed that an attack on\none of the American Republics is an attack on each and all. That I\nshall try to impress on Rios. But I have no indications that Rios\nis opposing ratification.\nWe have the opinion of Beunos Aires, through Armour, that the Minister\nof Foreign Affairs there had a conversation with Rios on the border.\nThis when mentioned by the press here was stoutly denied by the\nGovernment which only said however that h it had arrangenho such\nmeeting ;and it was announced too that Rios would not go to Argentine\nsoil. That would not have prevented Rios from seeing the Argentine on\nChilean soil. I shall be in better position to guess after I have\nhad my talk with Rios who has been in the South.\nIt looks as though the next Minister of Foreign Affairs here will be\neither Jorges Matta several times Minister under Alessandri, or Barros\nJarpa. The former is old and 111 and may not accept and I do not know\nprecisely his attitude. But Barros Jarpa is militantly ,openly,\n8 champion of the United States and a close friend of mine. He, too,\nwas Minister under Alessandri.\nI heard Welles recent speech on the radio perfectly. It made a good\nimpression here and should have a good effect in the ratification\nmatter.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely, claude y/Dower\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nCopy\nExcellency:\nI have received with particular pleasure your\nkind note of the second of this month in which you\ncongratula e me on my election as President of the\nRepublic of Chile.\nI appreciate in all their value the concepts\nto which you refer in the electoral act. My Govern-\nment will have as its special preocoupation collabora-\ntion with all the countries of American and more\nparticularly with the United States of North America.\nI assure Your Excellency that during my\nAdministration the ties of friendship between Chile\nand the great Democracy of the North which you 80\nworthily represent will be strengthened.\nWith assures of my highest esteem end considera-\ntion,\n(signed) JUAN ANTONIO RIOS\nChile folder\nSantiago, February 25,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nSince writing the letter to Welles,a copy inclosed,I have learned\ndevinitely that Barros Jarpa is to be the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and will\ngive his acceptance tonight. He is a militant pro-American and has been for years,\nso much so that when a president for the Chile -American Cultural Institute was\nselected four years ago he was naturally chosen. He was Minister under Alessandri.\nHe is a leading lawyer, a very able man ,a lecturer on international law at the\nUniversity. Recently he has written articles for the press attacking the Axis and\nJapan and in a notable speech at the University he did the same and at the same time\nmade a spirited defence of our policies. I do not know a single Chilean whom I would\nrather trust as far as we are concerned.\nBut like practically all the leaders of Chile ,like practically all the press, and\nmost of the people who are pro-American, he does not think Chile should break off\nrelations until something in the nature of an attack on Chile or an interference with\nhefr shipping of war material to the States occurs. He takes the position that the\nbreaking of relations inevirably would be followed with the sinking or attacks on\nships ,and that so long as Chile can continue sending this material without molesta-\ntion the gains is not only Chile's but ours. He thinks that sooner or later and\nprobably soon the attack will be made and then all public opinion outside Nazi and\nFifth Column circles would back the Government in breaking relations. We may think\notherwise but on my responsibility I state this as a fact-that Chile does not\nfavor an unprovoked breaking of relations and I mean by that Chileans who are mili-\ntantly pro-American.\nBecause of his attitude on this one thing he is clearly disturbed about accepting\nthe post offered. I personally think we cannot do as well anywhere else.\nIf he accepts, Rios, the president-elect, wishes him to go at once before\nthe inauguration to the States to discuss with the Department every phase of Chilean\nrelations and since he is a very reasonable, ,able man with a capacity to give and take\nI have a feeling that grounds would be laid for the elimination of all misunder-\nstandings that may exist. It occurs to me that he might be converted to our view on\nthe breaking of relations.\nI am a bit concerned for fear that a delay in breaking relations may lead to press\ndenunciations of Chile and reprisals which would certainly make us no friends in\nChile and unquestionably would lose us many of our best friends. 1 have cables Welles\nthis view and the hope that we will exercise patience for the moment at least.\nThe Chileans are a peculiar people and a very proud people and they are\nvery much against yielding to pressure from the outside .They showed that when\nFranco broke relations and gave out an insulting statement. To my amzement every\npaper, including the most rabid anti-Government papers, went aggressively to the\nsupport of the Government .I am hoping theerefore that there will be no precipitate\nreprisals and that Barros Jarpa can be convinced in Washington.\nI dislike to bother you but this impresses me as so important that it is my duty\nto get this exposition of the situation to Washington.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon ,Branklin D.Roosevelt\nclauds ABowers\nThe White House.\nPSFichile Chile\nSantiago, February 26, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nDuring the last two days I have had long conversations\nwith the President-elect, Rios, with Acting President Mendez\nand with Rossetti. I cabled the substance of my conversation\nwith Rossetti (My telegram No. 323 February 25, 08 am). I got\nthe distinct impression, taking into consideration the charac-\nter of Rossetti, that he actually believes that Congress will\nratify the agreements of Rio and that the actual breaking of\nrelations thus made possible without any further reference to\nCongress will be left to the new Administration. In this con-\nnection he said that while he had personally not discussed the\nmatter with Rios, three others had told him that from their\nconversations with Rios they were convinced that Rios is ready\nto break.\nThere is no longer any thoughtin Rossetti's mind of\nremaining on as Minister, and I am persuaded that he had\nfixed his hope on the ambassadorship in Rio which he will\nscarcely get unless he acts decisively and courageously on\nthe breaking of relations.\nMy conversation with Mendez was very cordial. He is in\nno sense a great men but by no means the utterly colorless and\ncharacterless figure he was pictured in some of the wise-crack-\ning American journals. He 1s a fine physician, a real humani-\ntarian, kindly, honest, very moderate, and the fact that he\ndoes have character is manifest in the fact that he has main-\ntained order and tranquility under difficult conditions during\na critical period. He said that his Government's feeling\ntoward the United States is one of complete coordination and\ncooperation, of a realization that his 1s best for the Chilean\npeople, and that we can count on ChileIs help in every way in\nconnection with the war. That he hates the Ax1s and its\nallies is very clear. He said something rather indefinite\nto the effect that Chile has some problems peculiar to itself\nwhich makes it wise to move with some caution and deliberation\nbut he clearly wished to make it clear that this should not be\ninterpreted as being under the pressure of the Axis. He\nclearly feels that sooner or later Chile will be attacked.\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\n- 2 -\nRossetti said very emphatically that any one who thinks\nthat by refusing to break relations with the Axis powers Chile\ncan escape attack is stupid; that from the view point of\nrealism it is inevitable that the Axis and Japan will sink or\nattack Chilean ships and industries to prevent the sending to\nthe States of cur war needs; that for the momen Japan probably\nfeels that nothing can be gained by an attack but that this\nmerely means that she is not ready. Thus he answers very real-\nistically and wisely the arguments against breaking relations.\nHe 1s a queer combination. I ampersuaded that his bad impression\nin R1o was due to his vanity. He should have been very frank\nabout the obstacles and difficulties he faced because of his\nlack of power beyond his instructions. But to have admitted\nthat he is not a powerful figure dictating the policies of\nChile would have hurt his vanity. Thus he posed evidently as\na man having the power and authority to do what he pleased.\nMy conversation of an hour with JuanAntonio Rios was most\npleasant. He began in a very complimentary strain of personal\ncompliments apropos of my work here, and went on to say that\nhe wishes to go along with the United States in complete coopera-\ntion. He said his personal and professional relations with\nAmerican business here had given him a better understanding\nof the psychology of North Americans than most Chileans had.\nHe said that he hadreceived many clippings from the North\nAmerican press on his election which he deeply appreciated.\nHe then made it clear that he will change the Minister\nof Foreign Affairs and that the new man will be a sincere\nI friend said that of the while United I St no anit known dail Amprisan.\nciated if he were in position to inform me for Washington the\nname of the man he has in mind. I told him laughingly that at\nViña the other day I had seen Barros Jarpa and had begun my\nconversation with him by asking him when he was going to take\noffice; that he began talking of something else and that I\nhad repeated the question as impudently as I could, and that he\nhad passed it off with a joke. Rios asked me when I had seen\nBarros Jarpa. I told him last Friday. He laughed and said\nthat I was \"warm\". I told him I had heard three men mentioned\nas possibilities, Barros Jarpa, Jorge Matte and Benjamin Clave.\nHe seemed surprised when I mentioned Claro and I have since\nheard that Ben is to be Minister of Education or is to succeed\nto the well-paid job now held by Rios. He then said that there\nis no objection to telling me confidentiall who is to be his\nForeign Minister but that he cannot doday since the man he has\nin mind 1s to give him his answer at eight o'clock tonight.\nThe moment the thing 1s settled he will give me the information\nin confidence for transmission to Washington.\nI got the impression that it is to be Barros Jappa. This\ngentleman side+stepped at Viña in my conversation with him and\n- 3 -\nimplied that his practice is such that he could not afford\nit but I suspect that since he had not been made a definite\noffer he protected himself by side-stepping the question.\nHe certainly is an outstanding and most able opponent of the\nAx1s Powers and in a speech at the University of Chile he made\na powerful speech against them.N 1s also very partial to the\nUnited States, militantly so, and for three years has been\nthe President of the Chile-American Cultural Institute. He\nwas twice Minister of Foreign Affairs under Alessandri, of\nwhom he is a close personal friend. He meets our desires on\neverything but one, - he does not think it wise to break dip-\nlomatic relations without a specific offense aimed at Chile.\nThis is not due to any friendly feeling for Germany, Italy or\nJapan, all of whose policies and purposes he has attacked for-\nmally in public. But there it 1s. He is moderate, reasonable,\nmost friendly and partial to us, and on the whole he would be\na good selection from our point of view. I doubt if it would\nbe possible to get anyone else so acceptable. His relations\nwith the whole American business colony are close and intimate.\nHe is & great admirer of Roosevelt, Hull and yourself.\nSince writing the above Barros Jarpa sent for a member\nof my staff with a message to me to the effect that he is the\nman who is to give his answer by eight o'clock tonight. He\napparently was worried because while actually militantly pro-\nAmerican on everything in general he, like most of the other\nChileans, thinks it would be unwise to break off relations until\n& specific reason is furnished. He says that Rios wishes him\nto go immediately to the United States for the purpose of a\ngeneral survey conversation with the Department covering the\nwhole field. At nine o'clock he informed us that he had\naccepted.\nWhatever may happen or not happen during the next month,\nbefore the new administration comes in, I think it would be\nunwise to indulge in any reprisals against Chile and especially\nbefore Barros Jarpa has an opportunity to reach Washington,\nsince it seems possible to me that he may be won over from this\none point and on every other point of our policies I think he\nis completely with us.\nCongress is to be called for next Monday and Rossetti\nthinks the discussion may drag along for ten days or so, but\nhe acts as though he has counted noses and knows that ratifica-\ntion will follow with & large majority in the Chamber and a\nsmall majority in the Senate, where the old reactionary hold-\novers have a third of the votes. There is little we can do\nabout it beyond working on Rossetti to make a fight. I talked\nvery bluntly and strongly to him, along the line of your sug-\ngention but his only reaction was that I need \"not worry\", that\nthe agreement would be ratified, and that within a short time\ndiplomatic relations will be broken. It would be & great\nblunder, considering Chilean character, to attempt to work on\n- 4 -\nmembers of the Deputies or Senate, since anything in the way\nof outside pressure would be resented and do more harm than good.\nI have just heard that before the Rio Conference the Em-\nbasey in Buenos Aires had the exact formula we favored regard-\ning the breaking of relations. I assume from this that some\nclerk in the Department by oversight failed to send that\nformula to us. It would have been very helpful to have had it\nsince it would have permitted & lot of spade work. We were\ntaken by surprise in the Embassy here when it developed at\nRio that tthe breaking of relations was considered by us the\ncrux of the whole conference. I had sent you my conversation\nwith Rossetti in which he made clear the reluctance of the\nGovernment here to break relations at this time and this may\nhave persuaded the Department that nothing could be accomplished\nat thie end.\nI have just had some side lights on Rossetti at Rio\nwhich throws an entirely different light upon his conduct\nthere. I understand that he tried to do a lot of heavy bar-\ngaining amounting almost to an attempt at blackmailing\nBrazil and the United States. I know that is the opinion\nof Barros Jarpa. All I had heard before was in connection\nwith his failure to get authority to go along with the plan\nfor breaking relations. He certainly was not wholly\nresponsible for that as he had his instructions and there\nwas no possible way for him to evade his instructions.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nChile Folder\nfriend\nSantiago, March 2, 1942\nDear Mr President:-\nBarros Jarpa, the forthooming Minister of\nForeign Affairs just left my house after an hour conversation\nAs I wrote you it would be impossible to find any one in public\nlife in Chile so notoriously, sincerely and militantly pro-Ameri-\ncultural\nsustitute\ncan He was I and still is, President of the Chile-American ^ Seciety\nappointed by us five years ago The British Ambassador called\nme yesterday to say we must be pleased at his appointment.\nHe told us a few days ago that President-elect Rios had told\nhim he wished him to go st once to Washington for frank and\nbroad discussions with you, Hull and Welles about Chilean collo-\nboration Today he tells me that Rios has changed him mind about\nc\nthe time and now thinks it best for him to go immedaitely or very\nsoon after taking office. His reason is that should he go now\nhe is afraid of resentment on the part of Rossetti, and possibly\nthe present Government, and that the former might, in resentment,\ntake some step that would greatly embarass his Administration.\nBarros Jarpa said he thought he would suggest to Rios that Ben\nCohen, whom you probably know and who certainly is well known to\nWelles ,and who is now Ambassador to Bolivia, be sent now ,under\nthe pretext of business or pleasure, to make a preliminary survey\nof the whole scene with our Government .This, he thinks might\nsimplify his own work when he goes.\nBarros Jarpa is a very able man, an erudite international\nlawyer, a former Foreign Minister, & leader of the\nBar, dignified, high-minfed honest, frank nand\npersonally charming. He has been one of my best friends\never since I came. We all at the Embassy are pleased with his\nappointment dispite his feeling that the time is not ripe for\nbreaking relations. Unfortunately this view is shared here by\nall Chileans including the most ardent of our friends. They all\nadmit that Chile will be attacked and will instantly not only\nbbeak relations but probably declare war .They cite our attitude\ntoward England during the first two years and insist theirs is\nprecisely the same toward us and that they will act as we did\nwhen the condition which confronted us in Decemvber arises.\nWe all combat this as much as possible but with the sentiment so\nunanimous, or almost so, it is very difficult to make progress.\nLast night Miles Sherover was at the house. He is\nvery eager to join in the war work regardless of pay. I know\nour people at the Department do not care for him much but since\nhe speaks Russian, knows Russian psychology, and knows Mussian\nleaders since floating the Russian bonds, he might be used to\nadvantage in some connection in the embassy at Moscow.\nThe press here carries a story from Madrid of a govern-\nment function there in honor of the thirty aviators in the\nSpanish army who are leaving to fight with Hitler against the\nRussians.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely\nHon. Franklin D. Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nclauds \"Bower\nfilend.\nChile Folder\nSantiago March 16,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nThe inclosed copy of a letter\nto Welles may throw some light on the present\nChileen outlook.\nWith warmest regardsm,\nclaus Hower\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nSantiago, March 16, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nI am rather concerned over two things, - one, recent com-\nplications which are clearly creating irritation both in Wash-\nington and Santiago, and second the evident misconception in\ntheUnited States of the attiude of Chile on the war. It is\npossible that & review of the situation as seen here at the\npresent time and an analysis of the figures in the forthcoming\nGovernment with whom we shall have to deal may be of some service.\nThe overwhelming mass of the Chilean people are wholly with\nthe United Nations and against the Axis. The decisive victory of\nRios over Ibanez who frankly stood for the Totalitarian point\nof view does not measure the extent of this partiality for the\nUnited States. Many thousand of partisans, eager to get rid of\nthe Popular Front, but in no sense Totalitarians or pro-Nazi,\nvoted for Ibañez. These men were shortsighted, small-bore poli-\nticians and partisans who did not realize that they were playing\ninto the hands of Hitler.\nIn our various negotiations with the Chileans we have\nencountered in some quarters a bargaining spirit indicative less\nof a desire to stand with us because of the principle involved\nthan of getting all possible out of us in the way of credits,\netc. You found that Rossetti in Rio was such a bargainer, but\nI am afraid we most not single him out for condemnation. It is\nthe Chilean spirit. Pedregal is infinitely worse I think. He\nwas once overheard saying at a dinner: \"I will stay with the\nYankees as long as the money holds out\" But thisrepresents the\nviewpoint of the business men and the politicians and not of\nthe major part of the people. Unfortunately the press reflects\nthe views of the politicians and business element, not of the\nmajor part of the people.\nIt is difficult to find many public men who frankly are\nsympathetic toward the Axis. Some who I am sure are sympathetic\nwill stoutly maintain that they are not. The two outstanding\nfriends of the Axis who puzzle me not a little are Cruchaga\nand\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\n- 2 -\nand Senator Max Errazuriz The first of whom holds on to the\nhonorary presidency of the German organization, and entirely\nNazi organization and the second maintains his position as the\nhead of the Japanese organization. Cruchaga I have tried to\nexcuse but when he presided over a farewell dinner given by\nFriends of Germany to Leisewitz, and at his age toured the country\nwith Ibañez, I abandoned the effort. Politically, however,\nGruchaga is passé. His association with the Friends of Germany\nis unfortunate however because of his past prestige, and his\nintimate identification with the Church. He makes a fine banner.\nWhile his age and his not unnatural indisposition to break\nold social ties at his time of life offers something in extenua-\ntion, I find absclutely nothing in the case of Errazuriz. He has\nno close social friends among the Japanese of whom there are\nfew in Chile. When old friends of his have expressed their\nastonishment that he does not resign he asks \"Why should I ? It\nwould only irritate them?\" He too is an outstanding layman of\nthe Church. I cannot accept as a friend of the United States\nat this time anyone who heads a Japanese organization.\nThese two, Cruchaga and Errazuriz, are principal owne rs\nof the Carrera Radio, and so anxious have I been to bring them\ninto the fold that when Jim Farley's Coca Cola people gave a\nvery large advertising contract to radios and did not include\nthe Carrera, I wrote Farley explaining the situation and asking\nhim to remember it in the future. These men tell us that they\nrefused an enormous contract from the Axis and hoped to make\nup the loss by support of American and British business men and\nI have asked our people to remember them. This, however, was\nbefore Japan launched her attack on us. By all the rules a\nradio station owned by the head of a Nazi organization and by\nthe head of a Japanese organization would be put on the black\nlist. But 80 long as it does not spread Axis propagandal\nwould be opposed to this because of its relation to the Church\nthrough the ownership of two outdtanding laymen.\nThese two men are members of the Senate where they have\ninfluence, especially with the opposition, and they may be\nput down as opposed to breaking relations.\n(2) ACTIVITIES OF ALLIED MISSIONS.\nOur cause is handicapped here by the intense activity of\nthe Axis Powers, including Spain, through their embassies and\nlegation. Having no trade matters to look after all four\nconcentrate on propaganda. Very few of the Allied missions do\nmore than mark time.\nThe British Embassy 1s an exception of course and is doing\na\nissn\nronor birs\n- 3 -\na great deal in the way of propaganda. Its propaganda section\nis especially worthy of commendation. Sir Charles Orde, the\nAmbassador is not well, and his methods lack the brute force\nof the Axis diplomats.\nThe Yugoslav Minister, Dr. Kolombatovic, 1s intensely and\neffectively active. After the Germans, the Yugoslavs have the\nlargest and most prosperous colony here. They are ardently\ndevoted to their country and are intensively organized. They\nfollow Kolombatovic blindly, contributing money whenever asked.\nThey have the brute force that matches that of the Germans\nand the Germans cannot pound the table any lounder than\nKolombatovic. He is an educated man, speaking English, French\nSpanish, Yugoslav, Russian and German and he saw service in\nthe Army and understands espionage. He talks bluntly to\nthe Foreign Office.\nThe Dutch Minister, or Chargé, von Oven, is an ardent\npatriot but wholly ineffective. His wife is more aggressive.\nThere is a fair sized Dutch colony that could be used to\ngreater advantage.\nThe Polish Minister, Mazurkiewicz, does little beyond\ngiving masses for the Polish martyrs, etc.\nThe Danish Minister, stationed at Buenos Aires, impresses\nme greatly, but he is seldom here, and Theodor Wessel, the Chargé,\nis a pleasant man, married to an American woman, but he seldom\nvisits the Foreign Office and does nothing that I can discover.\nThe Chinese Minister 1s active but young and inexperienced and\nof course has no colony to back him, none worth while. He\ndoes go to the Foreign Office however and he wants to act\nclosely in conjunction with us.\nThe Belgian Minister, Gerard, seemed for a time completely\ncrushed by the fate of his country, but he has recovered and\nis more active, though he seldom goes to the Foreign Office.\nWhenever anything comes up of any importance, the German,\nItalian, Spanish Ambassadors and the Japanese Minister move\nin quick succession to the Foreign Office, but only the\nBritish, Yugoslav and ourselves among the Allies combat their\nefforts.\n(3) THE SOUTH AMERICANS.\nGracie, the Brazilian Ambassador, has become very active\nand forceful in dealing with the Foreign Office. He was 80\nindifferent at first that I had no confidence in his position\nbut since Aranhas visit here ha has changed and is now the\nmost energetic and effective diplomat in furthering our aims.\nElegf\nBI\n$\n- 3 -\nSeñor Nieto Caballero, the Columbian Ambassador, and\nGarcia Salazar, the Peruvian, are certainly with us but they\nseem to hold back - are not very forceful. Of course, Nieto\nhas but recently arrived.\nGuiraldes, the Argentine, is as active against our cause\nas the German, Italian or SpanishAmbassadors, with whom he\nmostly associates. Ostria Gutierrez, the Bolivian, 1s a\nstrong, forceful man and gives us excellent support.\nSpindola, the Mexican, since the change in Administration\nin Mexico, has been very active and forceful in dealing with\nthe Foreign Office.\nThe Ministers of Panamá and Venezuela are withus but\nnot very effective or active.\n(4) JUAN ANDNIO RIOS\nJuan Antonio Rios is a handome man who \"looks like a\nPresident\" and is friendly to the United States. He 1s not\na great man and he has neither the humanitarian traits not\nthe idealism of Aguirre Cerda, nor the brilliance and color\nof Alexxandri. He is a lawyer whose practice has largely been\nin the corporation field and he has been connected profession-\nally with the American businesses here and for a time was on\nthe board of the Telephone Company. I am sure we shall have\nnothing to fear from him in the matter of protecting American\ninterests here. The danger is that he will think this all\nwe should ask hin in the way of pro-Americanism. He is apt\nto confuse Big Business with the United States and I suspect\nthat he 1s certain that \"Dollar Diplomacy\" and not the \"Good\nNeighbor Policy\" reflects the United States. He wants\nAmerican money invested in Chile but on a fifty-fifty basis.\nIn the campaign he took & square position for democracy and\nagainst totalitarianism indirectly but he refrained from any\ncomments that totalitarians would resent. Reared in the\nSouth among the Germans, with whom his political career began,\nhe got 8. surpFisingly large vote in the German centers of\nValdivia and worno, but this was probably personal. His\nwife 1s a German and I hear that she is very pro-German and\nthat there have been family quarrels on the war. it is said\na divorce was pending, because of a mistress, whenhe was\nnominated for President, then his wife concluded she could\ntolerate the mistress for residence in the Moneda.\nHe has said that Congress will not pass on the Rio\nagreements until after his inauguration, and he certainly\nhas never indicated any disposition to break diplomatic\nrelations. I am informed by Barros Jarpa, who 18 to be his\nForeign Minister, that in his inaugural address he will skirt\n- 5 -\naround the Rio agreements and merely say that if the breaking\nof relations becomes necessary he will consultCongress. In\nbrief, I think we can count wholly on his economic collabora-\ntion but at this time I am not so sure of his political\ncollaboration to the extent desired by us. He is very cagey\nabout that.\nI do not gather from anything I have heard that he is\nmore than superficially interested in a program of social\namerioration but that his attitude toward labor 1s very much\nthat of our own Chamber of Commerce. He is a bitter enemy\nof the communists and Barros Jarpa tells me that he will stand\nno nonsense from them. He will try to curtail their activities.\nI am a bit afraid he may go so far as to precipitate social\ndisorders since he will be very apt to interpret any demand\nof labor on wages or working conditions as \"communistic\".\nI am giving you the dark side, hoping that I may be wrong.\nBarros Jarpa is certainly sincerely pro-American. He\nbases his opposition to breaking diplomatic relations on the\nbelief that it would be but an idle gesture calculated to\ninvite attack when Chile is not prepared for the defense of\nits coast. He finds Chile's position in its relation to the\nUnited States precisely that of our position in relation to\nEngland during the first two years of the war. He said to\nme that Pan-Americanism does not contemplate the determination\nof the foreign policy of any one nation by a majority vote of\nthe whole. This interested me, since I have heard from Aguirre\nCerda, Foreign Ministers and other public men bitter resent-\nment of the action of some nations in South America in publicly\nproposing and publicly urging the adoption of some action\non all American nations without previous diplomatic consultations.\nBut not withstanding all this, he insists that Chile will\ngo along with the United States in the war.\nThis may furnish the Department with some background\nmaterial and be helpful.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nfile\nChile Folder\nSantiago,April 2,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nI inclose herewith a copy of a letter to Mr\nWelles which may contain information you would like to have.\nI am firmly of the opinion that if the Government here,\nshy of anything that may annoy the Axis ,continues to hold\nback from the public the various contributions we are making\nto the economic life and national defence of Chile, this in-\nformation should be given to the United and Associated Press in\nWashington and sent here for the local press. We have popular\nsentiment with us, but with the Axis propoganda lying about us and\nwith Government here withholding from the public ,as it so often\nhas done, our contributions, I feel we must give our friends the\nleading paper\nfacts. I took up with El Mecurio the failure of the press to\ngive us credit for the coast defence material and the owner\nfollowed with a strong fine editorial\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon. Franklin D.Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nclauds allowers\nSantiago, April 2, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nThe clear intent of Ruiz Guiñazú's visit was to exert\npressure on Chile to go along with Argentina on her war\npolicy, and all the Axis missions here, including, of course,\nthe Spanish, also part of the Axis, prepared to make a Roman\nholiday. The Government here was embarrassed as I wrote you\nor rather wired you. That Rossetti was in earnest about it I\nlearned later in a strange way from Barros Jarpa who told me\nthat Rossetti showed him a telegram to Michels instructing\nhim to inform our Government in the sense of his talk with me.\nI was a bit surprised to hear Barros Jarpa say that he had dis-\napproved. Rossetti gave a luncheon for Ginazú but invited no\ndiplomats, just the members of the Guinazú mission and members\nof the Foreign Office staff. Members of my staff who have seen\nhim in the street report that no one was paying any attention\nto him. My daughter happened to pass the Moneda when he made\nhis much advertised appearance there to call on the Acting\nPresident and was amazed to find not more than a dozen people\nstanding about, though on such occasions usually there is &\nlarge crowd.\nThe climax came when Guiñazú delivered his address at the\nUniversity of Chile to which the entire Diplomatic Corps was\ninvited. Not oone solitary member of the diplomatic missions\nof South and Central America attended. I did not. None of\nthe European Allies attended except the poor Pole, who is a nice\nwell meaning fellow but a bit dull and who was frightened to\nnote the absence of all diplomate except those of the Axis -\nthe German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese, wll with all their\nmilitary members in uniform. This has been the topic of much\nconversation in the Corps.\nThe next morning the superb article of the U. P. to the\neffect that we are not furnishing war material to Argentina\nnow because of her failure to cooperate on a policy of conti-\nnental defense appeared, conspicuously displayed, in all the\nleading\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\n- 2 -\nleading papers and created something of a sensation. It\nhelped to increase the governmental timidity here regarding\nGuiflazü. That night Guinazü spoke by invitation before the\nHouse of Deputies. It was a bromidic speech but he managed\nto get something about the desire of Argentina and Chile to\nremain neutral in the war. On the whole the Guinazú visit\nhas been a dismal flop.\nYesterday in response to the expression of a desire of\nGonzalez Videla to meet me, I invited him with & senatorial\nfriend of his and four others to a quiet luncheon at my house.\nHe stayed until four o'clock, from one, and talked very\nfreely. He is & handsome man and really brilliant and alto-\ngether charming. He was enthusiastic about the U. P. story\nof that morning. He thought that we are not using enough of\nthat sledge hammer kind of propaganda. The Axis is using\nthe most unscrupulous methods, lying, etc., and taking ad-\nvantage of the traditional feeling in Chile in favor of neu-\ntrality in ordinary wars to get in their work against breaking\nrelations. He actually did not know about the coast defense\nmaterial we have already set up here. He thought that few\ndo know. As you know I told Rossetti he could give out the\nstory of the arrival of the guns, in accordance with instructions,\nbut some days went by before anything was said in the press and\nthen it came in the form of & brief statement from the Minister\nof Defense which was not what it should have been. I did not\nfeel at liberty without instructions from Washington to give\nit out from the Embassy. You may recall that I suggested that\nit be given out in Washington to the U. P. with the request\nthat it be given a full play here.\nGonzalez commented on the fact that our A. P. and U. P.\ndo not appear to be doing any pro-American war work on their\nown and he said that the French agency, the German agency,\nthe Italian agency, the Spanish agency, all are engaged in\nconstantly propaganda mostly predicated on lies, while our\nagencies can in such stories as appeared yesterday serve our\ncause enormously by printing the truth. He said that the\nUnited States has a very great popular following in Chile but\nthat we must give them something totalk about.\nCecil Lyon thought that Gonzalez was implying that he would\nbe glad to look after Chilean propaganda for us, but the idea\ndid not occur to me, nor to others present, thought it may be\ntrue. My impression that he is slated for a diplomatic post\nblinded me at least to such an impression. Whether we could\nmake use of Gonzalez, if such was in his mind, depends in my\nopinion entirely on his relations to Rios. As far as I know\nthey are good. Because of Gonzalez' fight with Marcial Mora\nfor refusing to extend the day for the primary three days to\ngive Gonzalez a chance to get to the people, an attempt was\nmade to expell Gonzalez from the Radical party. It resulted\n- 3 -\nin failure and Morahas resigned the Presidency of the Party.\nJust have your letter of the 26th. It is queer that\neven after the date of your letter Barros Jarpa spoke to\nme about Arturo Alessandri being offered the post if feelers\nindicate 8. willingness. However, as I informed you, he\nsaid at the same time that if Alessandri will not take it\nno change would probably be made. I wonder if Rios is\nacting on such things without keeping Barros Jarpa informed.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely, Claum abower\nChile Folder\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nDear Claude:\nApril 28, 1942\nI have received your letter of April 16, 1942\nwith which you enclosed B. copy of your letter of\nApril 15, addressed to Sumner Welles.\nThere has, to my knowledge, been no intimation\nby any responsible officer of the Government of the\nUnited States that this Government is contemplating any\ndeliberately unfavorable action against any friendly\ncountry such 2.5 Chile which has not 8.8 yet seen fit to\ntake drastic action against our enemies to. the extent\nat least of breaking relations. From a purely realistic\npoint of view, there would seem to be nothing to gain\nfrom such action on our part. As I believe Summer Welles\nhas mentioned to you, however, there will naturally\nbe some matters with respect to which the nations who\nhave broken relations with the Axis will inevitably\nreceive treatment different from the treatment received\nby those countries which continue to maintain a semblance\nof neutrality. But this difference will be due to the\nnecessity for giving preferential assistance to those\ncountries which are cooperating most closely with us.\nSincerely yours,\n(Signed) Franklin D. Rosevelt\nThe Honorable\nClaude G. Bowers,\nAmerican Ambassador,\nSantiago, Chile.\nSigned original of the letter send s Hon Summer\nWilles 4/24/42 hm\nESS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS TO\nTHE SECRETARY OF STATE\nWASHINGTON, D.C.\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nApril 27. 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI have received your memorandum of April 23,\n1942 enclosing a. letter of April 16, 1942 which you\nhave received from Ambassador Bowers at Santiago.\nThere is enclosed for your consideration a draft\nof a reply to Ambassador Bowers.\nSincerely yours, Kills\nEnclosure:\nDraft of reply.\nThe President,\nThe White House.\nChile Folder\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nApril 23, 1942.\nMEMORANDUM FOR\nHON. SUMNER WELLES\nFOR PREPARATION OF REPLY.\nF.D.R.\nLetter from Claude Bowers, April 16,\nSantiago, Chile to the Pres.\nfiller\nChile Folder\nSantiago, May 14, 1942\nDear Mr. President:\nI am rather sorry that we have decided against the\nacceptance of an invitation to Wallace or Welles to be\nthe guest of the Chilean Nation since it had seemed to\nme that if offered the opportunity which means so much\nin a soundly democratic country like this to reach and\nmarshall public opinion which determines governmental\naction in accordance with the principles of democracy.\nIt is true that Chile has moved slowly and has not broken\nrelations yet but it is moving slowly in the right direc-\ntion and the foreign policy here is in the hands of a\nMinister who is ardently and sincerely our friend, a real\nchampion of democracy and well known as an uncompromising\nenemy of Totalitarianism or dictatorships. A dictator can\nfix a policy today which may be all we ask for, and if the\nfortunes of war sway against us tomorrow and the prospects\nof our enemies brighten, he can change the policy over\nnight; but the real democratic convictions of the Chilean\npeople would make that change here impossible.\nYesterday at a banquet given at the Air Field in honor\nof the American aviators who brought the fifteen planes I\nmade a speech presenting the American flag sent by you and\nGeneral Marshall. In the speech I got in the fact that we\nhave thus served Chile at a sacrifice; and General Castro\nin his reply said Chile would hever forget the sacrifice\nwe had made. I sat beside Barros Jarpa and had a long talk\nwith him on Chilean policy. He is clearly unhappy over the\nsituation.\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D.C.\nsituation. He said that his hesitancy about going to Wash-\nington 1s due to the fact that until Chile breaks relations\nhis position there among a people highly worked up naturally\non the war would be difficult in that until relations are\nbroken he could not say to interviewers the things he would\nlike to say and that we would have him say; that this would\nmake Chile's position with the American public more unfor-\ntunate than now. He then said that there are certain things\nhe wants to do and thinks he can do speedily. He wants to\nremove the pro-Nazi Ambassador in Argentina and send Luis\nSubercaseaux; he wants to suppress the Nazi paper here,\nthe ALEMAN; and hw wants to go after all the pro-Axis\nactivities here, the agents, spies, propagandists, and all\norganizations enemies of the United States and wipe them out.\nHe made this astonish statement: \"The only possible justifi-\ncation for our present policy of legal neutrality would be\nto proceed drastically against all these enemies of the\nUnited States.\"\nI told him I thought it is a great mistake to postpone\nindefinitely his trip to Washington, that the misunder-\nstandings could be wiped out in intimate conferences, that\npostwar matters would be considered and that I am afraid\nthat if Chile holds off from such a conference while other\nnations are holding them Chile may find in the end that she\nhas missed the bost. I shall continue to press him on this.\nI confess that I cannot understand clearly the psychology\nhere about the breaking of relations. Barros Jarpa said\nsomething vaguely which suggested to me the possibility\nthat there are party considerations involved which do not\nmeet with his approval.\nOur situation is much better I think than ever before.\nGracie, the Brazilian Ambassador, agrees with this. The\npress is very friendly. My relations with the leaders here\nboth of the Government and the Opposition are most cordial,\non terms of personal friendship. With patience I feel we shall\nget in the end all we want. Today I am having an intimate\nluncheon at the house with Arturo Alessandri, the former\nPresident, Senator Alessandri, his son, Barros Jarpa and wife,\nCruchaga, Marcial Mora, the Radical, former Minister of\nForeign Affairs and Finance, and the Agustín Edwards.\nWith both Barros Jarpa and President Rios worried,\nwith the desire of both of them to have close relations\nwithus, with public opinion and the press becoming more\nand more on our side, I am persuaded that with patience\nwe shall get what we want.\nI am writing similarly to Welles.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nclaude Bower\nChile Folder\n1-42\nDear Claude:\nI hope that the vigorous campaign which you\nare initiating, according to your letter of April 29,\n1942, will bear fruit in a changed Chilean attitude,\nand I understand from Mr. Welles that the measures\nyou have suggested to his are undergoing study.\nSincerely yours,\nThe Honorable\nClaude G. Bowers,\nAmerican Ambassador,\nSantiago.\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nMay 18. 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI have received your memorandum of May 11, 1942\nenclosing for preparation of reply a letter dated\nApril 29, 1942 from Ambassador Bowers. There is\nenclosed a suggested reply for your consideration,\nand signature if you approve.\nFaithfully A yours,\nEnclosures:\n1. Letter from Ambassador Bowers,\ndated April 29, 1942.\n2. Suggested reply to\nAmbassador Bowers.\nThe President,\nThe White House.\nDepartment of State\nBUREAU\nDIVISION\n}\nRA\nENCLOSURE\nTO\nLetter drafted\n5/14/42\nADDRESSED TO\nThe President,\nThe White House.\ne. . SAVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE\n1-1033\napril\nS antiago, 29,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nI inclose a copy of a letter to Welles that may\ninterest you. It gives some indication of the conditions with which we\nhave to deal here. I am firmly convinced that the time has come to talk\nrather bluntly to our friends. Our great trouble is that our real friends\nare apparently afraid to stand up for us publicly while the Axis crowd\nhammers away at us. I am now arranging with a number of Chileans who will\nsign letters to the papers answering the attacks --letters I shall write\nor inspire. They are easily and effectively answered. I sometimes think\nthat the trouble here as in some parts of our own country is that the\ncheaperpoliticians are afraid of the \"German vote\". Day before yesterday\nthe Illustrado, organ of the Church had a two and a half column review of\na book on the Rio Conference which would have the Pan-American Union\nmean merely a union of the South American states and which creates the\nimpression that we are not real friends of these States .The author had\nthe audacity to attack insultingly the I8 nations that have gone with us\nby breaking relations. I arranged with a Chilean to write an answer of\nequal length which was quite as downright and this appeared today in\nthe Illustrado Strange thing about this paper. I am convinced that at\nheart it is totalitarian and it certainly is reactionary but it publishes\neverything we ask and publishes more in our favor than any other paper\nhere.\nWe are all deeply interested in what really is happening in\nItaly. of cpurse she is practically out of the war and is as much a\nconquored country as Belgium.Possibly she wants peace But peace with\nMussolini would be absurd. A peace with him in power at the conclusion\nwould scarcely be a victory for democracy. I feel the same way about\nFranco and Suner. Here the Italians are under cover, ashamed in public,\ninactive or at least so ineffective that they may be ignored. The Japs\nare the most insolent\nThe Francoist the most sneaking and in propoganda\nin certain quarters the most valuable to Hitler.\nI have hopes that under Morales, the new Prime Minister, something will\nactually be done to wipe out the Axis agents and Fifth Column conspirators\nHe talked very frankly to me ,initiating the conversation along this line,\nand the next day he sent the new head of the bureau of investigations,\nColonel Frias to see me\nI was much impressed by him, and plans were made\nfor close colloboration\nWe shall soon see what we shall see.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon. Franklin D. Roosevelt\nclaude\nThe White House.\nSantiago, April 30, 1942\nMy dear Mr. Welles:\n0\nLate in the day I last write you, I saw Barros Jarpa\nand had a rather straight and downright conversation with\nhim, taking advantage of my personal relations with him\nbefore he entered the Ministry. I began by observing lightly\nthat the Brazilian Ambassador had protested against the\ninsult to his country by the Nazi propaganda sheet called\nEL ALEMAN. He said he had. I then said that, of course, I\nfelt 100 per cent sympathy with the Brazilian. But, I added,\n\"the United States and President Roosevelt have been atro-\nciously lied about and outrageously attacked for many months\nin both this paper and EL CHILENO\". I said that I have\nsympathy with the laws guaranteeing the liberty of the press,\nbut that he, Barros Jarpa, knew perfectly well that these\ntwo papers, financed, subsidized by the Axis, are not legi-\ntimate newspapers but mere propaganda sheets, concentrating\non attacks on the United States. I then said in substance:\n\"The fact is that I have been greatly embarrassed by\nthe tone and color of the press. For example: For many months\nthe Chilean Government begged me to impress on Washington\nthe vital need of batteries for coast defense, for planes,\netc., and, agreeing with that need, I made many personal ap-\npeals not only to Mr. Welles but even to the President. I\nactually fought Chile's battle on that issue. You, know,\nof course, it was a bad time to get arms from us. Our own\nArmy was insisting that we could use everything we could\nproduce. Our Allies, fighting with us, Britain, Chine,\nand Russia were in dire need of these guns and planes. But\nin the end we made the sacrifice for Chile, and the batteries\narrived. They arrived withmen sent to give the necessary\ninstructions to the Chilean Army on the use of the guns.\nNow, you know, I have been utterly amazed by the fact\nthat I have yet to hear one word of appreciation\".\n\"Do you mean from the Government?\", asked the Minister.\n\"Well, yes. The fact 1s that I have not had one word\nof\nThe Honorable\nSupner Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\n- 2 -\nof appreciation from the Government, outside personal\nwords from the Army and Navy, but I was not thinking 80\nmuch of that. I was thinking of the press. (Lying a bit)\nI said that I had been instructed to send to Washington\nthe reactions of the press.\"\n\"And\", I went on, \"we searched the Santiago papers\nmicroscopically and I was unable to find one single\nsyllable of appreciation. On the contrary\" -- and here I\ntook up several copies of ALEMAN and EL CHILENO having\neach double page, sensationally headlined attacks on us\nfor sending this material -- \"on the contrary I found\nthese. Here, time and again, in these Axis propaganda\nsheets, we are accused of having actually bullied a relutant\nand embarrassed Chile into taking these guns against her\nwishes. We are accused with having actually sent \"an army\nof occupation\". The Chileans were invited to hang their\nheads in shame as long 88 'the foot of the invader is on\nChilean soil'. The public was told, falsely, that the\nAmericans went 8.8 a great courtesy to instruct the Chilean\nArmy in the use of these gunds, were insutling to Chilean\nofficers.\n\"Now you can understand my embarrassment. I had urged\nthat this material so earnestly and persistently asked to be\nsent and I had to send to Washington -- all there was to send -\nnothing but these foul attacks on use for having dared send it.\n\"This attitude of the press concerns me greatly because\nhuman nature is human nature everywhere, and Chile needs\nother things that we can furnish only at a sacrifice, and\nwhen I urge the sending of these I am afraid that our\nexperience in the case of what we have sent will not be a\nstrong inducement.\"\nHere Barros Jarpa told me that the press had said\nnothing about the arrival of the batteries on instructions\nof the Government then in power.\n\"But\", I said, \"after the Axis subsidized propaganda\nsheets had flooded the streets with the story of their arrival\nalong with denunciations of us for forcing them on Chile, it\nwas no longer a secret. A statement of the facts would then\nhave seemed to be in order - but not a word\".\nHe then said that a meeting of certain Ministers had\nbeen called by Morales, Minister of the Interior, to consider\nwhat can be done about these papers. I said I hoped some-\nthing could be done to protect the friends of Chile from\ninsults.\nII\n= - 3 -\nII\nThere is one way to reach these Axis propaganda sheets.\nThey could not publish without paper. They get this paper\nfrom a paper manufacturing company here which furnishes all\nthe Santiago press, and this company could not make the paper\nwithout wood pup from Canada and possibly, I do not know,\nfrom the United States. The British here, acting through\nArthur Pack, Commercial Attaché, in charge of the Black List\nand by odds the best man in the Embassy, tells me that he\n1e going to recommend that no more wood pulp be sent this\nmanufacturer if he is to continue to furnish the finished\nproduct to the two papers. He says he has talked with the\nmanufacturer who is quite ready to refuse them paper but he\nsays there 1s a Government commission which orders the dis-\ntribution of the paper to the press, and these two papers\nare included. In other words the Chilean Government orders\nthis manufacturer to furnish these Axis sheets paper.\nIf the Allied nations furnishing the wood pulp informs\nthe Government that all wood pulp from them will be cut\noff unless these papers are cut out, it will find itself\nin the position of either cutting them off or saying, in\neffect, that better it is that no paper be published at all\nin Santiago if these two Axis organs, subsidized by the\nGerman Embassy we are sure, are refused paper. The effect\non EL MERCURIO, and ell the other papers would then be\nmagical. The Government would not dare sacrifice them for\nthe two Nazi sheets.\nThis 18 something you may care to think over.\nIII\nThe Radical Party is again on the war path against its\nown Government. At E. meeting of the Radical Junta, one\nMario Bunster Carmona, a rich playboy, not in Congress,\nbut a member of the Junta, actually brought up a resolution\nattacking Morales for having appointed Colonel Frias head\nof the Bureau of Investigations. I strongly suspect the reason.\nI believe, thus far, that Morales is in earnest about\ncooperating with us in the matter of running down the Axis\nagents, etc., and Colonel Frias, who came to me from Morales,\nimpressed me as a strong and sincere man who may mean\nbusiness. In other words, he will not be a tool of the\nAxis in the Investigations. We know that throughout the\nwar Nazi tools have been members of the Investigations;\nthat damning evidence has beenpigeonholed; that when raids\nhave been made the Nazis have been tipped off in advance.\nIt\nsse\n- 4 -\nIt looks very much as though the pro-Axis element,\nincluding the cheaper of the politicians interested in\nthe \"German vote\", is concerned lest something actually\nbe done. I do not think Morales will pay any attention\nand I cannot believe that President Rios will not sustain\nhim. But here we have an issue and on the solution we may\nreach intelligent conclusions.\nIV\nOn the anniversary of the birth of the Japanese Emperor\nsome of the papers carried full page articles in glorification.\nEL MERCURIO did. of course the Japanese paid for it but\nEL MEROURIO failed to note publicly that it was an advertise-\nment. However, EL MERCURIO in the same issue carried a\nhot editorial the very reverse of complimentary to the\nJagnese. The Japs are very cooky here. They have almost\ntaken possession of the Chilean Golf Club. Last Sunday\nsome Americans told me that about fourteen were there.\nAlso, of course, the Germans, Italians and Spaniards.\nI enclose an interesting report prepared by Garrison\non the Havastele Agency.\nWith warmest personal regards, I Am\nSincerely yours,\n18 1949\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI have received your memorandum of May 11, 1942\nenclosing for preparation of reply a letter dated\nApril 29, 1942 from Ambessador Bowers. There is\nenclosed a suggested reply for your consideration,\nand signature if you approve.\nFaithfully yours,\nSummer Welles\nEnclosures:\n1. Letter from Ambassador Bowers,\ndated April 29, 1942.\n2. Suggested reply to\nAmbassador Bowers.\nThe President,\nThe White House.\nfile Pers Chile Folder\nSantiago May 23,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nThe other day I arranged a secret meeting with Pres-\nident Rios and Barros Jarpa at the formers private residence at Io P.M.\nto talk off the record and very frankly of the various things which\nI am afraid are creating serious misunderstandings among the men in the\nstreet in the United States and Chile. I send a full report of the hour\nand a half conversation to Welles and suggested to him that you might\ncare to see it. The atmosphere was most cordial One thing came out\nwhich throws a new and I think true light on the fact that the agreements\nof Rio have not been ratified by Congress. I was told frankly that the\nPresident himself had prevented the submission of the agreements to\nCongress when Rossetti was trying to submit them He said that under\nChilean tradition and the Chilean Constitution the management of\nforeign affairs is the exclusive prerogative of the President . He\nsubmits only treaties for ratification. To have submitted the agreements\nof Rio would have compromised his presidential rights and have raised a\nquestion as to his power. He says that the agreements are in operation;\nthat he has recognized them in sending Chilean representatives to two\nconferences called by the Rio conference .He says that if and when / he\ndecides to break diplomatic relations with the Axis he will not ask\nCongress anything about it since he has the power to do so on his own.\nMy plain talk about N azi activities here being unmolested\n\"\nthus converting, as I toldt them, Chile into a Nazi base for operations\n\"\nagainst the United States and the Canal had, I think, an immediate effect.\nis\nThirty six hours later came the President opening address to Congress.\nHe reached a paragraph which I am sure was added as a result of my\nconversation. When he reached it, he paused, looked over the Congress\ndeliberately, and then read very slowly and with marked emphasis the\ndeclaration that Chile will not tolerate any activities aimed against\nThe Ferruan autossador secide we\nany of the American republics. almost jumped our of Go chair.\nThe day before I think I got another result of the conversation. I had\ntold the President and Minister that speeches were made in Congress and\narticles had appeared in the press ,honestly made and written I thought\nprobable, and because of misinformation.W had been charged with dis-\ncriminating against the Chileans when ,I said, \"the Chilean Government\nknows this is not true and yet no representayive of the Government has\n\"\nmade the correction. Within twenty four hours\nBarros Jarpa addressed\nCongress on foreign policy and said with great emphasis that these\nstories are without foundation and that there has been no discrimination\nagainst Chile and that whatever embarassments may come here as a result\nof rationing have come to all the American countries and most of all to\nthe United States.\nOur agent here is now satisfied of complete cooperation of the Government\nin the uncovering of Nazi activities. The new Chief came to see me at\nonce on taking office. The President said the other night he had coke on\nhis instructions He made a fine impression on me and better still on\nour agent with whom plans are being worked out. I have a feeling that\nsomething worth while will come of this, that action will be taken that\nwill create an impossible situation for the Axis and lead to the\nbreaking of relations under circumstances that will not appear to have\nanything to do with pressure from us.\nAt the opening of Congress as the diplomats were leaving ,getting in\ntheir cars in front of the Capitol ,where a great crowd was gathered,\nthe Japanese were roundly hissed. I left before the Germans. But when\nmy car --I had three of our naval and military men in plenty of gold\nbraid with me--statted there was vigorous cheering for a full block\nWe are all agreed that the situation is much better.\nAt the same time I have information which bears out my impressions of\nRossetti and his attitude. As I have insisted all along Rossetti went to\nRio intensely eager to please us;as I have reported two days after the\nconference at Rio convened I saw a telegram from Rossetti asking the\nGovernment to alter his instructions so he could go along I00 per cent\nwith us;and the other night Bill Arnold, head of the Tel.and Tel. here\nwas with Ruis, the Sub-Minister who was at Rio as a delegate and who has\nwho\nalways impressed me as pro-Nazi ,talked freely while in an inebriated\nstate and said that he had had a \"hell of a time with Rossetti at Rio\"\nbecause dispite his instructions he was wanting all the time to disregard\nhis\ninstructions and go in for breaking relations;and that ,Ruis, business\nhad been to watch him and see that this was not done. I have always\nfelt that we got the wrong xint slant on him at Rio. Unhappily Ruis is\nMinister without portfolio, Secretary General of the President, and\n1 have no doubt his influenceixx is thrown against us. But 1 do not think\nhim a strong character.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nclauds is\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nfullowed\nChile Folder\nSantiago, May 27,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nThe decisive action of Congress in voting an investi-\ngation of Nazi activities would have been impossible four months ago. I\nthink there is no doubt that we are making big progress toward the\nrealization of our ends. The personnel of the Committee is anti-Nazi\n--that is the big majority are pronouncedly anti-Nazi.\nto Hilles\nI have explained the statement issued by the Foreign Minister with the\n1\napproval of the Peruvian, Bolivian Ambassadors and myself. The Nazis\nthrough their numerous paid agents who carry on the whispering campaign\nagainst us were circulating the fantastic story that we were arming\nPeru and Bolivian and encouraging them to attack Chile to recover the\nlost provinces Fantastic as it seems, it was causing great uneasiness\neven among our friends. I think the correction necessary'\nToday I gave a luncheon for Bishop of Walsh of Maryland and a New\nYork priest with him en route to Bolivia on some church mission, , and had\nall the hierarchy from the Archbishop down ,two prominent Church laymen\nSenator Cruze 7 Coke and Senator Horatia Walker, two members of the\nDeputies belonging to the Falangist party here who are militant against\nfacism and the nazis and friends of ours, the Bolivian Ambassador, and\n\"\nDawson of the City National who was one of the founders of The Commonweal,\nTwenty in all and all Cathomics. It created a very fine impression. We\nare closer to the Church as an Embassy I think than any other Embassy\nhere, including the Spanish.\nI am to see Barros Jarpa in half an hour. Luis Subbercassuax told me\nat luncheon that Barros Jarpa is going to the States by H June 15th.\nI shall find out if this is true.\nWe all feel that Chile is moving rather rapidly toward a change in\npolicy. The President's wife is arriving in Los Agedes on June 4th to\nput her boy in an American S chool. I have suggested to Welles that\nwhile she is going incog I think we should byall means have a representa-\ntive of the Government meet her on landing and offer any service.\nThis action of the President is gall and worm wood to the Germans.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon.Frankoin D.Roosevelt\nClaude ynower\nThe White House.\nfiel\nChile Folder\nSantiago, June 2, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nYou may be interested in some observations on a\nvery noticeable change in sentiment here toward the\nbreaking of relations during the last two weeks. The\ncordial reception of Prado of Peru has contributed some\nto the feeling that Chile is not in a comfortable position;\nand Mexico's declaration of war has had a powerful effect.\nThe mass of the people here are not enamored of Vargas' 1deas\nof government; they are of Mexico's and this means a stronger\nsentiment among the masses for the breaking of relations.\nBarros Jarpa is singing another tune, and instead of\nsaying that of course Chile will not break relations unless\ndirectly attacked is now speaking of when Chile breaks\nrelations. I think that my straight off-the-record warn-\ning addressed to the President and him at the night meet-\ning at the President's house has had some effect. He\nnow assures me he 18 going to Washington.\nThen, too, he has been talking very aggressively to\nBaron von Schoen, the German Ambassador. The other day\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington.\nhe told him that any one found engaged in activities\nagainst another American nation will be jailed or expelled;\nand this week he told him that any attack on Chilean\nmines or on the Panama Canal will mean a declaration of war.\nMore noticeable still, is the radical change in the\ntone of the press. It, aside from the Axis sheets, has been\nfair, but much too neutral for my system. Now allthe\nlegitimate papers are changing. EL IMPARCIAL, the most\nreactionary paper, which has been pro-Axis at heart and\nin tone within reasonable bounds, is now printing our propa-\nganda. It is owned by two brothers. Recently one, not\nconnected with the management, wrote an article against\nthe Rio Conference. A Spanish refugee, former editor of\nEL LIBERAL in Madrid, wrote a beautiful and brilliant reply,\nvery courteous and almost courtly in tone, which EL IMPARCIAL\npublished. Infuriated by the effectiveness of the reply,\nthe brother wrote a bitter article against us and our cause\nwhich his brother point-blank refused to publish, saying\nhe would not publish anything against the United States.\nThe paper was dependent on German advertising and now that\nwe have guaranteed 15,000 pesos worth of American advertising\na month it promises to come over entirely. You can imagine\nthe effect here.\nIn Valparaiso, La UNION, conservative paper, has from\ntime to time been scarcely friendly, and recently it used\nsome Transocean matter. We challenged its action and\nthe editor, a Conse rvative member of the Deputies, came\nhere to see me and gave a satisfactory explanation and\na pledge not to repeat. We have straightened him out\nwith the American advertisers and hehas put me on his\nfree list for his daily paper.\nI am sending Welles today a proposition sent me by\nfour Ministers which he may repeat to you. The majority\nof the Government today is for breaking relations. I have\na feeling that we may get results within a few weeks.\nI have heard an explanation of the failure to recall\nthe Ambassador from Buenos Aires immediately after his\naction in the May Day demonstration. He has a group of\nfriends among the Radicals in Congress and the President\ndoes not want to affront them while his emergency legisla-\ntion is pending. Then, again, he is notoriously a crack\nshot with the pistol and prone to challenge critics. But\nI think his days are numbered. Armour writes me that he\n1s much subdued.\nI wish you could have seen the ceremony at Chile's\nWest Point on the occasion of the presentation of the\nAmerican flag sent by you and General Marshall. It was\nan impressive ceremony. I spoke, General Escudero spoke,\nand then the color bearers, three men, were ordered forward,\nthe flag placed in their possession, and the band struck\nup, and these men with the American flag flying gaily\npassed down the line of the cadets -- doing the goose step.\nNo use to quarrel with the goose step here. In the salon\nwhere cocktails were served afterwards I noticed portraits\nof a number of the former Directors with mustaches twirled\nup cockily at the end, a la Wilhelm. I thought it significant\nof a certain period here and on the way back mentioned it to\nColonel Johnson and Major Kane. \"Have you ever seen the pic-\ntures of the mess hall at West Point?\", they asked in a chorus.\nI confessed ignorance. \"Well you ought to see how many of\nthem wear the Prussian mustache\", they said.\nBut I started out merely to say that I feel more\nencouraged over the outlook here than ever before. I am\nsure we are following the right course here, considering\nChilean psychology, in appearing more hurt than angry at\nChile's tardiness.\nWith warmest regards,\nFaithfully and sincerely yours,\nClaude yBower\nChile Folder\nSantiago, June 18, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI am enclosing a copy of a pastoral instruction sent\nout by Archbishop Caro, head of the Church in Chile, citing\ninstructions from the present Pope while Papal Secretary\nof State, instructing Catholics not to align themselves\nwith any one political party, thus making it a Church party.\nIt has been sent the Department, but you may be interested.\nHad the Hierarchy taken this stand in Spain instead of\nordering Catholics, as Cardinal Gama did, to vote against\nthe Republican parties in the election of March 1936 on pain\nof hell fire and damnation otherwise there would have been\nno incident S involving the Church there.\nI would particularly call your attention to the signi-\nficance of this letter. The Conservative Party here, the\nTory party, representing the old feudalistic element poses\nas the \"Church party\", and is against breaking relations\nand I think is Totalitarian in spirit. It has been using\nits pretence as a Church party to line up Catholics against\nbreaking relations and liberalism in general, and the old\nArchbishop, a lovely old man, is a liberal and was made the\nhead of the Church because of his work among the poor. This\nletter is a notice to Catholics that they are under no\ncompulsion to follow the policies of the Conservative Party\nand is therefore a lusty blow in our behalf.\nI incorporate as part of this letter the following\nfrom a letter I have written Mr. Welles today:\nMore and more the matter of breaking relations with\nthe Axis revolves around the inexplicable position of Barros\nJarpa. We know positively that he personally is exerting\nhimself\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D. C.\nhimself in every way to stem the rising tide in favor of\na break. I know that he is inspiring, indeed almost ordering,\nand in at least one instance has written editorial articles\nin favor of his present policy. He dictates to LA NACION\nand EL MERCURIO. The first directly; the second through\na subordinate in the Foreign Office who writes on foreign\naffairs for it.\nGarrison has this morning brought me an amazing story.\nEL IMPARCIAL, as you know, is probably the most reactionary\nof the Rightist papers, and until recently pro-totalitarian,\nbut we have an understanding with the publisher who is\npledged to publish nothing against us and who is taking and\npublishing matter in our favor and in favor of breaking\nrelations. The former editor of EL LIBERAL, Madrid, a refugee\nhere now, a friend of the publisher of EL IMPARCIAL, and a\nman of great cleverness with his pen, has been writing subtle\nbut powerful articles for EL IMPARCIAL signed \"Ghost of the\nacific\". These have evidently been getting under the skin\nof Barros Jarpa. Yesterday the publisher of ELIMPARCIAL told\nGarrison that Barros Jarpa had asked who wrote these articles.\nThe publisher says he refused to tell. He says Barros Jarpa\nsaid that if the growing division among the Rightists on\nbreaking relations continues he may have to resign.\nThat to me means two things: First, that unless some-\nthing outrageous is done by the Axis Barros Jarpa will con-\ntinue to oppose breaking relations. Second, that I am right\nin my suspicion that domestic politics, involving a plan to\nconvert the Government into a Rightist Government through\nsome understanding with the Conservatives and Liberals, who,\nas parties, are opposed to breaking relations, is at the botton\nof the whole thing. And yet the other night Barros Jarpa\ntalked seriously to me about recognizing Russia as proof\nthat Chile is with the democracies. Another of those contra-\ndictory things about the Minister.\nThe publisher of EL IMPARCIAL told Garrison he understood\nthat President Rios 18 wavering, which I think true. That\nprobably is making Barros Jarpa uneasy.\nI am invited to lunch at Barros Jarpa's tomorrow and his\nwife told my wife's secretary that it is not \"official\" and\nwhat\n- 3 -\nthe guests are to be my \"friends\". It has possibilities\nand I may hear something there.\nThe most shocking thing I have heard, and this\ncomes second hand but reliably I think from Matte,\nMinister of Finance, favoring the break in relations,\n18 that Barros Jarpa in giving the President a summary\nof our telegram which in substance I read to the President\nand which Barros Jarpa translated in my presence, and\nproperly, to him, he said that we had taken a position\nagainst \"bargaining\" but - and this is the point - that\nwe had said we would continue to give assistance to Chile\ndespite her present policy. This, if true, is downright\ndishonesty and trickery. There is a fight within the\nGovernment now on breaking and Barros Jarpa might be\ncapable of such sculduddery and again Matte may have\nbeen misinformed by the President. Barros Jarpa has\ntold several people that the majority of the Ministers\nare in favor of breaking relations.\nMr. Hull told the press conference that Barros\nJarpa was expected to visit us and this was printed\nin the papers here. I cannot understand why Barros\nJarpa should have thought it necessary to tell the\nlocal press that the story that he had been \"invited\"\nto the United States is \"inexact\". A formal invitation\nhas not been sent but your own letter and the fact\nthat I have personally told Barros Jarpa that you and\nthe President both have written me that they are looking\nforward to his visit makes this denial seem far-fetched.\nIt is the kind of petty quibbling that annoys me most\nin the Minister. And makes his position inexplicable.\nGustavo Ross is back. Luis Subercaseaux, a Con-\nservative aristocrat wholly with us, has seen me twice\nsince the return and both times has asked me eagerly\nif I had seen Ross. Both times he told me Ross is\nardently pro-Ally. Yesterday it was whispered around\nthat Ross with President Rios had conferred with me at\nmy house. Formerly, according to the gossip, I was\nhaving secret conferences with Contreras Labarca, the\nCommunist leader. I am reliably informed that at a\ndinner at the home of a pro-Nazi ex-Deputy, Ross\ncalmly summed up the situation pro and con and ended\nby showing that the advantages were on the side of\ncomplete cooperation with us. From another source\nI am informed that t Ross told the President, \"You\nhave two problems: one social; the other international;\nyou think you have an economic problem but that is not\ntrue\". Figure that out yourself.\nWith warmest personal regards, I am\nSincerely yours,\nClaud 4Bows\nPSF:Chile\nTRANSLATION\nKL IMPARCIAL - June 11, 1942.\nTHE CHURCH AND PARTISAN POLITICS\nDeclaration of the Archbishop of Santiago\n\"On various occasions we have fulfilled the duty of in-\nsisting on the observance of the norms announced by the Holy\nApostolic See, regarding the attitude which priests, members\nof the Social Action and the faithful in general should as-\nsume in regard to partisan politics.\n\"We are pleased to observe that, in general, those in-\nstructions have been complied with, and thus to verify that,\nthanks to God, there reigns in our nation an atmosphere of\nrespect for the Church, its ministers and for the faithful\nin general, the good results of which for the Church and the\nNation it is impossible to deny.\n\"We deem it convenient, nevertheless, to recall once\nmore the pontifical norms referred to, with the desire that\nthey may be observed fully and perfectly.\n\"In the letter of the then Examo. Cardinal Pacelli and now\nhappily reigning Pope S. S. Pio XII, addressed especially to\nthe Chilean Episcopate, under date of June 1st, 1934, very\nwise instructions were given, some of which we wish to quote:\n\"Without doubt the Church cannot be without interest in\nthe true 'great politics,' which looks toward the general wel-\nfare and forms part of General Ethics; that is, which promotes\nand defends the sanctity of the family and of education, the\nrights of God and of consciences. The Church must see to it\nthat its sons are at the same time the best citizens and that\nthey cooperate to the public welfare, both in the administra-\ntion and in the Government of the State. In this sense par-\nticipation in politics is a duty of justice and of Christian\ncharity.\n\"'It is another thing if it is a question of 'partisan\npolitics,\" that is, of the activity of groups of citizens\nwho desire to solve economic, political end social problems\nin accordance with their own schools and ideologies, which,\nalthough they may not be contrary to Catholic doctrine, may\narrive at different conclusions.\n\"In other words, a political party, although it may de-\nsire to take its inspiration from the doctrine of the Church\nand defend its rights, cannot arrogate to itself the repre-\nsentation of all the faithful, since its concrete program\ncannot have an absolute value for everybody, and its practical\nactions are subject to error.\n\"It is evident that the Church could not link itself to\nthe activity of a political perty without compromising its\nsupernatural character and the universality of its mission.'\n\"To these inspired words the Exemo. Cardinal believed it\nuseful to add the norms given by the Plenary Council of Latin\nAmerica, in every respect in agreement with his, as dictated by\nthe same spirit:\n-2-\n\"Lot the clergy refrain prudently from questions which\nrefer to purely political or civil things, and with regard\nto which, within the limits of the Christian law and doctrine,\nthere can be different opinions, and let than not involve\nthemselves in political factions, to the end that the Holy\nReligion, which should be above all human things and unite\nthe spirits of all citizens with the cord of mutual charity\nand benevolence, may not appear to fail in its office and\nthat its salutary ministry may not make itself suspect.\n\"May these words be received by all with the respect\nand adherence they deserve; rather than human words, they are\nthe voice of Our Lord God, who speaks through the intermediary\nof the successors of the Apostles, whom the Holy Spirit on-\nlightens. They are supernatural words which seek solely the\nwelfare of the Church and of souls.\n\"May they have the power to raise our thoughts above\nhuman passions, which divide men for temporal and fleeting\nmotives, and prevent them from contemplating the truth;\nmay they bring them, on the contrary, that lofty serenity, in\nwhich reigns the peace which unites hearts with the cords of\ncharity and illumines minds with the splendors of the insut-\nable truth and of God.\"\nJOSE MARIA CARO R., Archbishop of Santiago\nChile Folder\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nJune 23, 1942.\nMEMORANDUM FOR\nTHE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE\nFOR PREPARATION OF REPLY\nFOR MY SIGNATURE.\nF. D. R.\nLetter to the Pres. from Claude Bowers\nfrom Chile June 13th re situation in\nSantiago.\nChili Folder\nScand\n1-42\nCOPY\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nDear Claude:\nIn reply to your letter of June 13, I wish\nto state most emphatically that Senor Carlos\nDávila has not received from any authorized per-\nson in the Government of the United States any\nindication of the policy of the United States\ntoward Chile. Specifically, he has not seen me\non this or any other matter and he has seen\nneither the Secretary of State nor Mr. Welles\nfor many months past. You are, of course, fully\nfamiliar with the details of his interview with\nHenry Wallace.\nIt 1s most important that you lose no oppor-\ntunity to express to President Ríos my view that\nthe maintenance of diplomatic and other relations\nbetween Chile and the Axis powers represents a\ngrave danger to Chile and to the cause of the\nAmericas.\nVery sincerely yours,\nThe Honorable\nClaude G. Bowers,\nAmerican Ambassador,\nSantiago.\nсоь\nPSFiChile\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nJune 27. 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI have received your memorandum of June 23, 1942\nenclosing a letter of June 13 you have received from\nAmbassador Bowers in Santiago, Chile.\nIn response to your request, I am enclosing a draft\nof a suggested reply to Ambassador Bowers for your consi-\nderation and signature if you approve.\nA Faithfully yours, Hills\nEnclosures:\n1. Draft.\n2. Letter returned.\nThe President,\nThe White House.\nPSF: Chile\nSantiago, June 13, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nYou will recall that just before the inauguration\nof President Rios I wrote you the suggestion that you\nwrite him a letter of congratulation and in it make it\nclear enough that you hope he will break relations with\nthe Axis. That suggestion was made by me because two\nmen close to the President had reported to me that he had\nsaid that should you make the request he would conform.\nSince then there is no doubt in my mind that Rios\nhas been given very wrong impressions as to our feeling\nregarding Chilean policy and the breaking of relations.\nHe has said to several people, and I think in all\nsincerity, that the United States is entirely satisfied\nwith Chile's policy and is entirely indifferent as to\nthe breaking of relations. I have been informed that\nCarlos Davila recently wrote him personally that he\nshould not permit himself to be \"stampeded by pressure\nfrom the Embassy\" here since he had it directly from\nWelles or you - I have heard it both ways - that every-\nthing is satisfactory as it is.\nYesterday without being forced to be assertive I\nhad the opportunity to make it absolutely clear to him\nthat we have no other thought than that he should break\nrelations in conformity with the continental solidarity\nagreed upon. This was at a meeting arranged by him, and\nBarros Jarpa was present. It also gave, an opportunity\nto say to Barros Jarpa in the President's presence what\nI have often said to the Minister himself that it seems\nvery necessary to me that the Minister should go to Wash-\nington as soon as possible.\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington.\nMy purpose in writing now 1s this: night before last\nat a dinner at the Gritish Embassy the Ambassador gave me a\nmemorandum to the effect that Senator Anselmo Hevia and a group\nof Senators are working for the breaking of relations, and\nthrough a friend of the Senator's, who is a close friend of the\nPresident, Osvaldo Hiriart. The latter was won over and saw\nPresident Rios. He then reported that President Rios was\nfirmly convinced that \"the United States was quite happy with\nthe way in which Chile was behaving\" since she was getting\nChilean supplies without danger and that there were no\ninternal disturbances making for sabotage. He said, or is so\nreported, by his friend, to the Senator that if the United\nStates wants Chile to break relations it was desirable that\nsome action be taken by an important American statesman to\ndissolve the aforementioned impression of our satisfaction;\nthat if you or Mr. Welles \"could state openly and publicly\nthat the United States wishes Chile to break off relations\nwith the Axis\", which he said could be done without an ap-\npearance of pressure - the argument most effective with public\nopinion favoring the present policy would fall to the ground.\nThis is in keeping with my suggestion referred to in the\nfirst paragraph. This could be arranged at a press conference\nof yours or Welles, but with the situation as gratifying and\npromising as it is just now, I doubt the wisdom or necessity\nat this juncture.\nThe situation here is clearing remarkably recently and\nPresident Rios in the presence of Barros Jarpa told me\nyesterday that the present policies of his Government leads\nlogically and inevitably to a breaking of relations.\nWith warmest regards,\nFaithfully and sincerely yours,\nclaude \"Bowes\nfree\nPSF.chile\nSantiago, July 14, I942\nDear Mr President:-\nOn the receipt of your undated letter asking me\nto avail myself of the first opportunity to tell President Rios that\nin your opinion Chile's action in maintaining diplomatic and other\nrelations with the Axis is dangerous not only to Chile but to all the\nAmerican Republics, I made an appointment and saw him t yesterday\nafternoon. I found him extremely cordial and in good spirits .In\nsome preliminary conversation before I reached your message Chile's\npolicy in the war came up ,and largely on the Presidents initiative.\nHe talked with emphasis and seeming sincerety. He said that he is\nabsolutely with the Allies and \"particularly with the United States\".\nThat is proposes that Chile shall go along with us in every way and\nto cooperate in any way we suggest \"for the winning of the war, the\ndefence of the United States ,and of the Americas\". That he has\ninstructed Michels on his return to Washington to say as much to you.\nThat he is sending Barros Jarpa to Washington under instructions to\ncomply with any request we may make in respect to the war\nOn reading your message he said:\"I am glad I said what I did before\nreading this because I hope it shows that these are my own views\".\nHe then said, apropos of breaking relations, that there may be\nsome little trouble, and he wants just enough time to strengthen his\nposition. :le appears to fear that the Nazis might preciptitate\ntroubles in the mines of the North and he then said that he hoped\nin such contingency that he could count on the support of the United\nStates\nHe then said that he had heard that Carlos Davila had not seen you or\nthe State Department in months. This he undoubtedly heard from Michels\nwho came here with blood in his eye\nI\nverified\nwhat\nhe\nhad\nheard.\nWhether this information disturbed him as to Barros Jarpa I do not\nknow. It should. There is no doubt in my mind that Barros Jarpa is\ntricky, given to brazen misrepresentations and suppressions ,and is\ndishonest. This is shocking to me and the American colony has been\nshocked by his attitude in view of his reputation for years as a\nstrong pro-American. I suspect that he is trying to make his policy\nconform to the selfish interests of the Chilean shipping company and\nother Chileans who are now making money hand over fist. Very confiden-\ntially I am told by the Electric Company that after he became\nMinister he was offered a retainer of 30,000 pesos with no thought\nof his accepting and that he took it without a blink. I have thought\nthat a reversal of his policy on orders of Rios would precipitate his\nresignation but I am now convinced that he will hold on and I am\nafraid try to defeat Rios purpose by trickery. However if he goes to\nWashington as he must now plain talk may get results and if not from\n/\nhim , from Rios.\nWarmest regards,\nSincerely\nFranklin D.Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nClauds HBower\nChile Folder\nfilsonal\nSantiago, July 23,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nWhen Michels reaches Washington he will ask to be\nreceived by you since he is under instructions, according to his word\nto me, and according to President Rios statement to me, to say to\nyou that Chile is ready to do whatever you think necessary to the\nwinning of the far, to the defence of the United States and of the\nContinent. This is what Rios said to me as I reported before. Just\nbefore leaving Michels had a final talk with Rios and he told me\nafterwards that the President had reiterated what he had said to him\nand to me.\nUnder these circumstances I think you should be very firm on what\nwe think necessary so Michels can so report to Rios.\nI have written Welles in the same vein.\nLund, the Danish Minister ,on his arrival here came to consult me\nregarding his audience with Barros Jarpa. I told him I had the\npositive pledge of Barros Jarpa and of Rossetti before him ,that\nno Quisling designation would be considered? Today Lund reported\nback to me on his talks with the President and the Minister and he\nsaid that both conversations were most satisfactory For this both\nLund and Wessell here say they are indebted to my intercession.\nUnahppily our British friends here did nothing.\nSenator Cruz Coke ,the most popular man in the Conservative party\nhas just resigned the Vice Presidency of the party on the ground\nthat he cannot accept responsibility in the party's present opposi-\ntion to tge breaking of relations He had told me that he would\nmake his reasons public but nothing has yet appeared. It may follow.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon. Franklin D. Roosevelt\nclaude Howels\nThe White House\n\\\nfile\nChile Folder\n1-42\nSantage July 31-1942\nDear we President:\nyou way be interested\nin gust Two sections of eater\nto Welles.\nwith warmant\nme and swearely\nclauds y/Bowes\nHOU nauble ne Roosever\nThe white House\nSantiago, August 1, 1942.\nDear Mr. Welles:\nYour memorandum on your conversation with Michels\nwill probably arrive later today but your telegram\nassures me that the Ambassador did say to you what\nRíos told me he would be instructed to say. There is\na noticeable weakening in Conservative and Liberal\ncircles on the breaking of relations. When I read the\npress report of Ríos visit to Valparaiso and his speech\nI thought instantly of what he had said about \"a little time\nto strengthen his position\", and since he lost Valparaiso\nin the elections it flashed on me that this tour was part\nof the process. Itresembled the visit of a candidate in\nthe heat of a presidential campaign for he did not miss\ná spot in the town. The speech emphasized two points -\nhis determination to act alone on foreign policy and his\ndeclaration that he will not permit Chile to be separated\nfrom the sister republics on the issue of democracy.\nThis struck me as a cautious and gradual approach to\nsomething definite. On going to the office I found I\nalone had the impression that some step forward had been\ntaken. But the next day I was convinced that my interpre-\ntation had been correct when Horsey of the United Press\ntold me Ríos had called him that morning and asked what\nthe reaction to his speech had been in the States. Horsey\nwas compelled to tell him there had beennone and to suggest\nthat perhaps it was because there was nothing new in the\nspeech. This clearly disappointed Rios who said: \"Your\nreport should have interpreted the speech\". It looks\nfavorable at last. But from Barros Jarpa not a word.\nII.\nLund the Danish Minister has finally come and gone.\nI alone have fought his battle here against the Quisling\ndesignation, as reported to the Department at various\ntimes. When Lund arrived he called on me before seeing\nthe President and Minister to get my suggestions as to\nhis line with them. I told him I had positive assurances\nand that he should, in my opinion, say absolutely nothing\nthat would indicate the slightest doubt as to Chile's\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D.C.\n-\n2\n-\nattitude. He saw the two officials and reported to\nme afterwards that he had followed this course, that\nhe had been most cordially received, that there was\nnothing in anything they said or in their action to\nindicate that he was in the slightest danger. And since\nthen the Diplomatic List has been printed by the Govern-\nment and Lund is down as the Danish Minister. He came\nto thank me before leaving and he said he had notified\nthe Danish Minister in Washington that we had been res-\nponsible for saving him from an embarrassing situation\nhere.\nIII\nI have received nothing in reply to my two telegrams\nregarding LA CRITICA, the Socialist organ here. Unless\nwe are able, indirectly, to help there, it seems certain\nthe paper will pass out, and since it is one of the two\nonly papers here that has been demanding the breaking\nof relations, and since it has gone beyond all others in\ndefense of our position, and since the Socialist party is\nthe one pro-American party, as a party, it seemed to me\nthat we cannot possibly stand by and let this happen at\nthis time. I understand that $50,000,000 was made avail-\nable to the Coordination Committee to meet war needs and\nemergencies and this impresses me as an emergency. And we\nhave been appealed to.\nI certainly realize the delicacy of such proceedings.\nLA CRITICA is a party paper. If we are known to help it,\nit can be interpreted as an interference in internal\npolitics, though of course we are thinking of the paper as\na supporter of our policy only. For that reason we have\ndiscussed the matter with Dawson of the Bank and the proposal\nmade to the Department is the only one he could figure out.\nIf we cannot do this, it is unfortunate, since the\nGerman Embassy would give this paper or any other $25,000,\ngreatly more than we are considering, for its support in the\ntwinkling of an eye. Of course LA CRITICA could not be\nbought by the German Embassy for $100,000 - which is all\nthe more reason why we cannot be indifferent to its passing.\nWe have spent many thousands of the Coordination\nCommittee funds for things that do not remotely approach\nthe importance of this. I am giving you this, not as a\nnew appeal, but as an explanation of the position of this\nEmbassy, and I shall not press the matter more. But unless\nsomething is done speedily it will be too late.\nI\n- 3 -\nI know our policy of standing entirely aloof from\ninterferences of other countries internal affairs and\nwholly agree in normal times. Even now it is \"magnificent\",\nbut \"it is not war\", - not this war -b I am afraid we cannot\nfight in a bar room with drawing room manners, or meet the\nNazis with meat cleavers with ping pong mallets.\nWith warmest personal regards,\nMost sincerely yours,\nChile Folder\n1-42\nTHE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nAugust 3, 1942\natfidential\nMy dear Mr. President:\nIn accordance with our telephone conversation\nof yesterday, I am sending you herewith a copy of a\nletter dated August 1 which I have received from the\nActing Secretary of War and which has to do with the\npolicy of our Government towards Chile.\nThe War Department was advised of the policy\nwhich we intended to pursue towards the other American\nRepublics, as approved by you, prior to the Rio de\nJaneiro Conference of January 15 last. I have, there-\nfore, received this letter with very great surprise.\nIn any event there appear to be expressed therein\na considerable number of misapprehensions and an equal\nnumber of incorrect statements.\nNo suggestions have ever been made by this Gov-\nernment that we should take any action \"which can be\nmade to appear as a bribe of munitions of war offered\nto Chile for breaking with the Axis Powers\", as\nThe President,\nThe White House.\n-2-\nexpressed in the War Department's letter. Immediately\nafter Pearl Harbor the Chilean Government expressed\nits desire to negotiate a Lend-Lease Agreement with\nus, but we have replied that we would not be in a\nposition to conclude such an agreement until and unless\nChile indicated her intention of actively participating\nin measures for the defense of the Hemisphere. (This,\nof course, is exactly the same position which we have\ntaken with regard to Argentina, except that in the\ncase of Chile we sent the Chilean Government last\nwinter four batteries and a few airplanes so that\nChile could defend her strategic ports in the event\nof a surprise attack by the Japanese.)\nThe President of Chile has now sent you word that\nChile will break relations with the Axis Powers if\nthis Government believes it necessary, but has at the\nsame time urged that when this step is taken Chile be\npermitted to obtain from this country munitions of war\nand armament which we can spare, and which will put\nChile in a better position to resist attack, should\nattack occur. I have informed the Chilean Government\nthat we will consequently be willing to reach an agree-\nment with Chile as to the nature of a Lend-Lease Agree-\nment so that such an agreement can be signed when and\n-3-\nif Chile takes the action which she has said she will\ntake.\nThe most astonishing feature in this letter,\nhowever, is the two paragraphs which read:\n\"Granted that such action would stop\nundesirable trade with Japan and eliminate\nAxis influence in Chile, and granted that\nsuch action would have a good effect on\nLatin America as a whole, it must also be\nborne in mind that Chilean shipping, now\nimmune from Axis attack, would be subject\nto hostile submarine action.\n\"The main concern of the War Depart-\nment with respect to Chile from a military\npoint of view is the supply of copper. How-\never, it is believed that under present con-\nditions, Chile will continue to export this\nmetal to the United States, as her failure\nto do so would result in an economic crisis.\nIn the case of a rupture between Chile and\nthe Axis Powers, this supply might well be\njeopardized.\"\nAs you know, there has been no trade between Japan\nand Chile since Pearl Harbor. Furthermore, only a very\nsmall percentage of strategic materials, such as copper,\nexported from Chile to the United States is carried in\nChilean flag ships. The great bulk of these materials\nis carried in United Nations flag ships. Under present\nconditions, therefore, if Japan were able to do so, she\nwould be sinking these United Nations flag ships on\ntheir way between Chile and the United States, but the\ntruth of the matter is, of course, that if Japan were\n-4-\nin a position to prevent Chile from sending us stra-\ntegic materials even in Chilean flag ships, she would\nundoubtedly do so were she in a position to take effec-\ntive action in that regard, whether Chile broke diplo-\nmatic relations or not.\nIt seems to me of vital importance that Chile break\nrelations with the Axis Powers as promptly as possible.\nA break in relations is of the highest degree of impor-\ntance in our national defense interests because of the\nfact that the Axis embassies and consulates in Chile are\nnot only today directing subversive activities in the\nother American Republics which have broken with the Axis\nbut, as you know, these missions are likewise sending a\nflood of intelligence to the Axis Governments, reporting\non conditions in the United States, and what is probably\nmore dangerous, reporting not only on the movements of\nour ships touching Chilean ports, but also on the move-\nments of United Nations ships throughout South America.\nFinally, if Chile breaks relations, I am fairly confi-\ndent that Argentina could not then stand out for long\nas the one country in the New World which had not broken\nwith the Axis Powers.\nI have been concerned for some months past with\nrepeated reports which have come to me that the Chilean\nand Argentine military and naval officers in Washington\n-5-\nhave been reporting to their respective governments\nthat officers of this Government are telling them that\nwe do not in reality wish those two countries to break\nwith the Axis Powers. Similar reports have reached\nme that the British military and naval officers in\nWashington and in the capitals of the two countries\nin question have been telling high officials of the\nArmy and Navy of Argentina and Chile exactly the same\nthing. This confusion as to policy has not unnaturally\ncreated very considerable doubt on the part of the\nChilean Government, particularly on the part of the\nChilean President, as to what our real desires might be.\nAs you remember, the Chilean Ambassador is calling\nto see you this coming Wednesday morning, August 5.\nHe will immediately report to his President the state-\nments you will make to him. I believe that 1f he under-\nstands clearly that you hope that the Government of Chile\nwill break relations with the Axis Powers because of the\ngreat assistance which that will render in the defense\nof the Western Hemisphere, favorable action will be\ntaken in the not too distant future.\nBelieve me\nEnc.\nD Faithfully yours,\nHills\nFranklin D. Hoosevelt Library\nDECL\nDOB\n(9/27/58)\nCOPY\nData 2-11-70\nWAR DEPARTMENT\nWashington\nStignature- 80ml\nAugust 1, 1942\nSECRET\nThe Honorable,\nThe Secretary of State.\nDear Mr. Secretary:\nI am informed that the Government of Chile, through\nits Ambassador in Washington, has informed our Govern-\nment that it will, if we should consider it desirable,\nbreak relations with the Axis Powers, but that it could\nnot maintain itself in power after such action unless\nthe United States could transfer to Chile sufficient\nmunitions of war for the defense of Chile.\nI also understand that you desire an estimate from\nthe War Department as to the minimum amount of munitions\nwhich it would be necessary to transfer to Chile to\ninsure her defense under the present circumstances,\nand in addition, a statement of what munitions the War\nDepartment could recommend for transfer to Chile in\norder that she might break with the Axis Powers as\nabove indicated.\nI think it proper to point out that, from the point\nof view of the War Department, the advantages to be de-\nrived by the United States from the breaking off of\nrelations between Chile and the Axis Powers are question-\nable.\nGranted that such action would stop undesirable\ntrade with Japan and eliminate Axis influence in Chile,\nand granted that such action would have a good effect\non Latin America as a whole, it must also be borne in\nmind that Chilean shipping, now immune from Axis attack,\nwould be subject to hostile submarine action.\nThe main concern of the War Department with respect\nto Chile from a military point of view is the supply of\ncopper. However, it is believed that under present\nconditions, Chile will continue to export this metal\nto the United States, as her failure to do 80 would\n-2-\nresult in an economic crisis. In the case of a rupture\nbetween Chile and the Axis Powers, this supply might\nwell be jeopardized.\nMoreover, should we take action which can be made\nto appear as a bribe of munitions of war offered to\nChile for breaking with the Axis Powers, this action\nwill become known to the other Latin American nations\nand cannot fail to cause resentment among those who\nhave already declared war, or who are at present afford-\ning us material assistance in the use of their territory,\nand for whom we have been able to do very little in the\nway of Lend-Lease aid.\nReturning to the immediate sub ject of transferring\nmunitions to Chile, I understand that you feel that it\nis not advisable at this time to obtain from the Chilean\nGovernment an estimate of what they consider necessary\nfor their national defense.\nIn consequence, I have listed in Annex \"A\" of this\nletter, the more important items for which the Chilean\nGovernment has to date made official requests. Practi-\ncally every item listed is critical.\nLacking time to make a complete study of the\ndefense needs of Chile, it is still possible to analyze\nsome of the main considerations.\nIt seems logical to assume that the most probable\nhostile action would be the shelling, by submarine, of\nthe more important Chilean ports or the installations\nlocated near them. These ports are Tocopilla, Antofa-\ngasta, Barquitos, San Antonio and Valparaiso. The\nbest defense against such action is the fire of properly\nplaced light and medium artillery, of which the Chilean\nArmy now has an adequate supply. In this connection it\nmay be noted that the War Department has already supplied\nChile with the materiel of four (4) batteries of 155mm\nguns expressly for the purpose of defending all of the\nabove-mentioned ports, except Valparaiso, to safeguard\nthe copper supply.\nLess likely, but still possible, is a hostile air-\ncraft carrier raid directed at one of the above-mentioned\nobjectives.\n-3-\nEffective defense against such a threat would\nnecessitate combined air and ground forces, including\nespecially anti-aircraft artillery.\nAs will be noted from Annex \"B\" of this letter,\nthe Chilean Army is reasonably well equipped to supply\nthe necessary ground forces except in the matter of\ntanks and anti-aircraft artillery, and consequently\ntheir request for field artillery and like items can-\nnot seriously be considered.\nThe Chilean Army is deficient in combat aircraft,\nanti-aircraft artillery and tanks, and 8. request for\nthese items is logical, and the amounts requested are\nnot excessive for the defense of the five localities\nlisted above.\nUnfortunately these items are highly critical.\nIt is unthinkable to take such equipment from the\nhands of our troops, and in consequence, it could only\ncome from future production. The allocation of means\nfrom future production is a function of the Munitions\nAssignments Board and the War Department could not,\nin the present circumstances or the foreseeable future,\nrecommend the transfer of such equipment to Chile, in\nthe amounts requested. Combat aircraft is at present\nout of the question.\nHowever, appreciating the urgency of this situa-\ntion and despite the critical nature of the items in-\nvolved, the War Department will recommend transfer of\nthe following:\na. 20 - 37mm antiaircraft guns with 1500 rounds\nof ammunition per gun to be available\nby September 1, 1942.\nb. 30 - Mormon-Harrington light tanks to be\navailable by August 10, 1942. This\ntype of tank is operated by three (3)\nmen, armed with one (1) 37mm gun and\nthree (3) caliber .30 machine guns.\nIt is possible that at a later date, thirty (30)\nof a slightly different type Mormon-Harrington tank\nmay become available. This latter type employs a crew\nof four (4) men and is armed with two (2) 37mm guns\n-4-\nand six (6) caliber .30 machine guns. Production\ndifficulties with respect to engines make it imprac-\nticable to set a delivery date for this type at present.\nIn addition, I attach an Annex \"C\" of this letter\ncertain other smaller items of equipment which could\nbe recommended for transfer in moderate amounts.\nSincerely yours,\nROBERT P. PATTERSON\nActing Secretary of War\n3 Incls.\nAnnex \"A\"\nAnnex \"B\"\nAnnex \"C\"\nfile THE WHITE HOUSE\nChile Folder\nWASHINGTON\nAugust 5, 1942.\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:\nSumner Welles wanted the following\nmessage given to the President before he\nsees the Chilean Ambassador today:\n\"I have just received a personal\nmessage from the Foreign Minister\nof Brazil, which tells me that the\nPresident of Chile yesterday told\nthe Brazilian Government that the\nChilean Government is only awaiting\nthe result of the President's inter-\nview today with the Chilean Ambassador,\nin making its decision to break diplo-\nmatic relations with the Axis. 1:\nMHM\nfilenal\nChile Folder\nSantiago ,August 8,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nBecause of rapidly developing changes here\nthe copy of the letter to Welles,enclosed,may interest you. It\nis now realized ,as a result of your \"firm stand\" with Michels\non the breaking of relations with the Axis ,and since this is the\none thing that Rios has been saying he was waiting for,and since\nhe has said repeatedly that he would break in the event you said\nso,I cannot be assume that he is going to break. And Barros Jarpas\nright-about-face is significant of the attitude of Rios. Nothing\ncould be more significant than Barros Jarps insistence that my\nfriend Cruze Coke shall go along with the President to Washington\nsince he is a reader in the demand for the the break. And he\nis the most popular man in the Conservative party,which,as a\nparty, has been opposed. His personal popularity, extending beyond\nparty lines, is such that the party did not dare accept his\nresignation as Vice President, based on his inability to subscribe\nto its policy ,and he was given absolute freedom to fight for\nthe break.\nWith warmest regards,\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nSincerely,\nThe White House.\nclauds yours\nPSF:Chile\nSantiago, August 8, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nAs I telegraphed, Cruz Coke came to me directly from his\nhour's conference with Barros Jarpa and I have sent you the\nsubstance of the conversation. The Senator evidently was very\nvehement for at one juncture he tells me the Minister smilingly\ntouched him on the knee with the admonition \"not so loud\". He\ntold the Minister that but for his long personal friendship\nwith him he would attack him personally because his policy of\n\"equivocal\". It appears that Barros Jarpa was most conciliatory\nand that he gave unmistakable indications of a radical shift\non his part. When the Senator told him it was \"outrageous\"\nand \"almost treason\" to have given permission to the author\nof the book on the Rio Conference to speak to the War College\nand subtly to attempt to incite to rebellion by the Army if\ndiplomatic relations with the Axis were broken, and demanded\nthe right to reply before the same body, Barros Jarpa said:\n\"You are absolutely right and you shall have permission\".\nThe Minister told him of the Michels conversation with\nRoosevelt and said that our President was veryfirm on the\nnecessity of breaking relations, and the Minister did not seem\nto resent this but to be reconciled to it.\nMore significant, in my opinion, is the fact that he said\nalso President Roosevelt 18 prepared to invite Rios to Wash-\nington if assured of his acceptance and that he, the Minister,\nis going to urge the President to accept. He said \"it is most\nimportant\". And in the event of his going he said he thought\nhe should be accompanied by about two parliamentarians and that\nCruz Coke should be one of them. In view of the Senator's\nposition this certainly is significant. The Senator told him\nthat he would not go unless assured that his own views were\naccepted and would be acted upon. I told the Senator I\nthought it well for him to go; that in view of what Rios\npositively knows about our position it would be incredible for\nhim to go without the intention of breaking.\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\n.2M\n- 2 -\n2851\nfuont\nThis morning the new Consul to Los Angeles, Señor\nCardenas Muñoz, came in to say good-bye. He 1s intensely\npro-American and has a son at Yale. He said he had just come\nfrom President Rios who seemed much pleased because, as he\ntold him, he had been or would be invited to Washington. The\nConsul has the impression that the break 1s inevitable.\nWith warmest personal regards,\nSincerely yours,\ncusts\nfile friend\nChile Faller\nSantiags august 12th2\nseeas un President:-\nNeees sent we\nmemovadone ou weat cave wishel\nsent sand him ou the enclosed comments.\na has return and &\ncen wather he mentioned\nall ally Cas been\nbut withel information is\napropos commented ou by we before\nmuch strouger Narineal repards\nsweety clauds grower\nHou Wankles al. Roosever\nThe white House\nSantiago, August 11, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nThe memorandum of the conversation of Michels with\nyou and the Ambassador's observations call for some com-\nments from this end. I am impressed especially with the\nAmbassador's discovery that the President \"was greatly\nmisinformed, not only in regard to public opinion and the\nviews of the Government of the United States, etc.\" This\nwould seem to be a most serious reflection upon me, whose\nbusiness it is to properly inform this Government along\nthat line. This I have done time and time again, without\nnumber, in discussions with the Foreign Minister, but as\nyou have seen, when reports continued to reach me that the\nPresident here had said he was reliably informed that we\nwere entirely satisfied and that he had a misconception\nof the feeling in the United States, I asked permission to\ntalk frankly, and off the record, and did talk with him\nat his house with the Foreign Minister present, for almost\ntwo hours. You yourself can Judge from the long report I\nsent you on that conversation whether there could have been\nany possible justification for the implication that I had\nnot given him the real information.\nLet me add here since the Chilean Ambassador in Wash-\nington presumably was reporting to his Government, it seems\nall the more remarkable that the President should have been\nmisinformed.\nApparently the misinformation reached the President\nfrom Barros Jarpa; and the misinformation reached him from\nCarlos Dávila who it seemd did send information opposed\nto that I had given and presumably to what Michels had sent.\nNor can there be any possible excuse for any misunder-\nstanding with the members of the Cabinet. I personally\nhave talked often with the leading members of the Ministry\nwho not only did understand the situation but have been\ninsisting on the breaking of relations.\nI agree with Michel's explanation of Barros Jarpa's\nattitude in part. As I have made clear to you, I have\nthought\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nWashington, D.C.\n- 2 -\nthought that having taken such a pronounced stand immediately\nafter taking office, his personal pride had become involved,\nmaking it difficult for him to shift without some specific\nreason. But I do not ascribe his former stubborness to that\nas the primary reason. I cam convinced that he has been\nthinking of the selfish interest of a little group of Chilean\nmoney makers who have been making money hand over fist under\nexisting conditions, notably the shipping company, and who\nwant no disturbance of the status quo. That 1s also the view\nof Cruz Coke.\nII\nWe now come to the Ambassador's statement that the\npolicy of the British Embassy and the British colony 1s\ndiametrically opposed to our policy; that the commercial\ninterests of the British here are insisting day by day that\nChile should not break relations; and that the reason for the\nattitude of Embassy and Colony is that they believe the com-\nmerical preponderance in Chile of the British will be best\nserved if relations are not broken.\nI have not heard from any of our people of members of\nthe British Colony engaging in that open propaganda. I\nshall take pains to investigate discreetly. But it seems to\nme not improbable. When the Willingdon Commission was here\nI was much impressed by the fact that --\n(1) The members of this Commission in their speeches,\nand talks among people generally, had little to 8 ay about\nthe war and that they seemed entirely concerned with post-\nwar trade with Chile after the war.\n(2) That the Commission was composed almost exclusively\nof bankers and industrialists, of the Tory element that\nwas with Chamberlain and his policies, and that all with\nwhom I talked very noticeably moderated their praise of\nChurchill. At heart this group seemed to me to be of the\nold appeaser element and not friendly to Churchhill.\nLater when Lord Davidson was here I talked alone with\nhim for more than an hour and I was a bit shocked to notice\nin him the same trend of thought.\nBut that which has disturbed me most has been the fact\nthat the Embassy here has given very scant support to us at\nthe Foreign Office. Orde, the Ambassador, in several cases\nhas said that he had not put in a lick in that quarter\nbecause he \"had no instructions from London\". He talks to\nme personally as though he would like to see relations\nwith the Axis broke, but he appears a bit academic about\nit, and he talks to me like an outsider spectator observing\na fight that interests him mostly as a spectator. He\ncertainly\n- 3 -\ncertainly has made no effort to help at the Foreign Office\nin this regard. His position seems to be that since the\nbreaking of relations with the Axis concerns only the\nAmerican nations that formulated the agreements of Rio, it\nwould do harm to us and our fight for a European Power to\nintervene. I get the distinct impression that he tries to\nconvey the idea to me that the British Embassy 18 playing\nour game by staying out.\nIII\nI know of no earthly reason why \"The Socialist and\nRadicals do not feel that they have any real contact with\nthe American Embassy\". I have had repeated and close con-\ntacts regularly with Schnake, the real leader of the\nSocialists, and with Marmaduke Grove the head of the party.\nI have had Schnake at the house at lunch with two or three\nmen alone several times. Grove seems me often. Among the\nRadical leaders I have close contact with Marcial Mora, for-\nmer Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Finance and head of\nthe Party; with Sáenz, former Foreigm Minister andthe first\nman to be elected by the Popular Front, and with Labarca,\nformer Minister of the Interior several times and an out-\nstanding leader of the party, and with numerous others.\nThe only criticism of myself I have heard, before this, has\nbeen that I did not cultivate the Rights . which is also\nuntrue.\nI suspect that the Ambassador gets his information\nfrom some members of his party with whom we do not have\nintimate contacts. We cannot attempt to have such relations\nwith 11 the members of the Party. it would be bad policy.\nThere is a great deal of jealousy in the Radical party.\nSo much 80 that it has been in the habit of throwing out\nthe President of the Party at intervals of two or three\nmonths ever since I came to Chile. However, if he will\nindicate specific persons we should cultivate we shall be\nglad to do 80.\nBut the Ambasador's statement that members of my staff\nmaintain social contact \"solely with elements of the Right\"\n18 distinctly not true, and absolutely false. Heath\nhas Rightists at his house but he does have Socialists and\nRadicals; Lyon has invaluable contacts with the Rights, but\nhe has at his house many leaders of the Left and goes to\ntheir parties, and, as officer in charge of cultural\nrelations, his intimate contacts with the intellectuals\nbrings him into close touch with Leftists almost entirely.\nBrooks social contacts are almost entirely with the parties\nof the Left because they are in power. Faust, who reported\npolitics, had scarcely any contacts with the Rights and\nalmost too intimate contacts with the Left including the\nCommunists.\n- 4 -\nThis, I think, covers the ground as far as any disagree-\nment as to facts are concerned. There is no possible reason\nwhy any Secretary need be sent here that the Leftists can see\nfrequently; since they can see the people now hear frequently\nif they wish; since members of the staff do see them frequently;\nand since it is notorious here that I am always glad to see\nany man in public life on a human basis and without regard to\nprotocol, a matter often commented on by the press here ina\ncomplimentary way. There 1s no need for sending anothe\nSecretary here for that purpose.\nMichels acted precisely as he should while here, but it\nis well to bear in mind that he is a very active politician,\nwith his own group of friends in his Party whom he wishes to\nsee predominant in the Party and he probably wishes to see\nthem on intimate terms with the Embassy since instead of\nbeing detrimental to a politician now days it is very\nadvantageous.\nIV\nCruz Coke 1s to make a speech on international affairs\nin the Senate today, according to the press. He hadtold me\nof his intention. Whether this is good or bad at this\njuncture is conjectural. It would seem to me to have been\nbetter if he had made the speech outside the Senate, since\nin the Senate his speech may give an opportunity for our\nenemies to speak also, and I doubt if Rios is anxious to\nhave a furious fight on as he approaches action on the\nbreaking of relations.\nReturning to the Michels report about the British opposi-\ntion to the breaking of relations: Senator Horacio Walker,\nvery pro-English, of English extraction, certainly pro-\ndemocratic, and hostile to the Axis openly, is nevertheless\nopposed to the breaking of relations. He has closecontacts\nwith the British Embassy. That may be significant.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely yours,\nADDRESS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS TO\nTHE SECRETARY OF STATE\nWASHINGTON, D.C.\nfele personal\nChile Folder\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nAugust 22. 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI have received your memorandum of August 12,\n1942 transmitting a letter of August 4, 1942 from\nAmbassador Bowers at Santiago, Chile.\nA draft of a suggested reply to Ambassador Bowers\nis enclosed for your signature if you approve.\nA Faithfully yours, pubs\nEnclosures:\n1. From Ambassador\nBowers, August 4, 1942.\n2. Reply to Ambassador\nBowers.\nFORDEFENSE\nThe President,\nThe White House.\nBUY\nUNITED\nSTATES\nSAVINGS\nBONDS\nAND STAMPS\nDepartment of State\nBUREAU\nDIVISION\n}\nRA\nENCLOSURE\nTO\nLetter drafted\n8/18/42\nADDRESSED TO\nThe President,\nThe White House.\n. . - HOTEL -\n1-100\nPSF: chile\nSantiago,August 4,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nFrom several reliable quarters I have it that\nPresident Rios has said precisely what he said to me,--that is,that\nif we say that the breaking of relations with the Axis is helpful\nor necessary in the winning of the war he will break ;but that he\nis a bit concerned lest there be some trouble and he told me,as\nhe apparently has said to others, that in that event he would like\nto feel that he could count on the support of the United States.\nAs I wrote before,after having said this once,he followed\nme to the door to reiterate it. And because of that I have suggested\nthat it would be helpful if I were authorized to say to him that\nin the event of trouble from the Nazis he nout could count on\nus\nour support. I have had be reply to that suggestion.\nRios seems primarily concerned lest this trouble take the\nform of strikes in the nitrate and copper fields,and he has\nspecifically mentioned the communists in those fields . This seems\nstupid to me,but it conforms with his character, since he is a\nRightest at heart ,and unfriendly to the communists whose 80,000\nvotes elected him. It seems incredible to me that at this juncture\nthe communists would be interested in stopping the accumulation of\nwar material to be used against Hitler. I suspect there may be\nsome Nazi agents in these fields posing as communists ;and there\nno doubt are Nazie ,Facists and Spanish analgists in these mines\n,unknown to the managers. Contreras Labarca ,communist leader here,\nhas been told indirectly from us that in the event of any change\nhe must see to it that his people go right and he has given the\nassurance.\nI understand that Michels will tomorrow give you a personal letter\nfrom Rios and assume that your reply will come in the packs pouch to\nme for personal delivery to the President. I have not yet heard\nwhat Michels reported to Hull and Welles ,and I cannot well act\nwith intelligence here unless I am kept completely informed of\nthe proceedings there. I assume the report is on its way by courtier\nBut in view of the fact that I think Rios ready to break and\nBarros Jarpa is not ,it is most important that I have reasons for\nseeing Rios without interference from Barros Jarpa .Your letter\nin reply to Rios will give me the reason.\nThe situation is delicate since I must continue to deal with Barros\nJarpa and pretend to believe in his sincerety ,and without an\nexcuse I cannot well ask to see the President without arousing his\nsuspicions and incurring his displeasure\nWith warmest regards,\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nSincerely, Claude flower\nThe White House.\n& laws no doubt there is a good\nexplaciation but you should know teat\namong the masses here our freuds\nand not communist F6 failure\nof Butaus and tho u.s.to assent Russes\nis creating uneson suspress and a very bad\nCOPY\nPSF: Chile\nEmbassy of the\nUnited States of America\nSantiago, August 4, 1942\nAcknowledged\nDear Mr. President:-\n8/18/42\nFrom several reliable quarters I have it that\nPresident Rios has said precisely what he said to me,--that\nis, that if we say that the breaking of relations with the\nAxis is helpful or necessary in the winning of the war he\nwill break; but that he is a bit concerned lest there be\nsome trouble and he told me, as he apparently has said to\nothers, that in that event he would like to feel that he\ncould count on the support of the United States.\nAs I wrote before, after having said this once, he\nfollowed me to the door to reiterate it. And because of that\nI have suggested that it would be helpful if I were authorized\nto say to him that in the event of trouble from the Nazis\nhe could count on our support. I have had no reply to that\nsuggestion.\nRios seems primarily concerned lest this trouble take\nthe form of strikes in the nitrate and copper fields, and\nhe has specifically mentioned the communists in those\nfields. This seems stupid to me, but it conforms with\nhis character, since he is a Rightest at heart, and\nunfriendly to the communists whose 80,000 votes elected\nhim. It seems incredible to me that at this juncture the\ncommunists would be interested in stopping the accumula-\ntion of war material to be used against Hitler. I suspect\nthere may be some Nazi agents in these fields posing as\ncommunists; and there no doubt are Nazis, Fascists and\nSpanish Falangists in these mines unknown to the managers.\nContreras Labarca, communist leader here, has been told\nindirectly from us that in the event of any change he\nmust see to it that his people go right and he has given\nthe assurance.\nI understand that Michels will tomorrow give you a\npersonal letter from Rios and assume that your reply will\ncome in the pouch to me for personal delivery to the\nPresident. I have not yet heard what Michels reported to\nHull and Welles, and I cannot well act with intelligence\nhere unless I am kept completely informed of the pro-\nceedings there. I assume the report is on its way by\ncourier.\nBut in view of the fact that I think Rios ready to\nbreak and Barros Jarpa is not, it is most important that\nI have\n-2-\nI have reasons for seeing Rios without interference from\nBarros Jarpa. Your letter in reply to Rios will give me\nthe reason.\nThe situation is delicate since I must continue to\ndeal with Barros Jarpa and pretend to believe in his\nsincerity, and without an excuse I cannot well ask to see\nthe President without arousing his supicions and incurring\nhis displeasure.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nCLAUDE G. BOWERS\nHon. Franklin D. Roosevelt\nThe White House.\n(Written in Pen) - I have no doubt there is a good\nexplanation but you should know\nthat among the masses here, our friends and not\ncommunists the failure of Britain and the U.S. to\nassist Russia is creating suspicions and a very bad\nimpression.\nPSFichile\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nDear Claude:\nYour letter of August 4, was of particular in-\nterest. It confirms my impression that developments\nin Chile are proceeding along the right lines. I\nhave discussed with Sumner Welles the points raised\nby President Rios and I understand that he has already\ninformed you of our point of view.\nI am confident that the position we have taken\nwill be completely satisfactory to our Chilean friends.\nWith best wishes,\nVery sincerely yours,\nThe Honorable\nClaude G. Bowers,\nAmerican Ambassador,\nSantiago.\nfull\nChile Folder\nSantiago, August 25, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI enclose herewith a copy of a letter to Welles\nwhich I think contains important suggestions. You will\nnote that I was not mistaken in my original estimate\nof Alessandri when he was in Washington. I am convinced\nthat he dictates the policy of Barros Jarpa. But that\nthe latter needs no prodding from him. The Foreign\nMinister's cousin, a complete Nazi tool, 1s Chilean\nAmbassador in Berlin and is reporting, even by telephone\nto Barros Jarpa all the propaganda handed him by Goebbels;\nand this is hurried to Rios. The attitude of the Foreign\nMinister is utterly inexplicable. The Chinese Minister,\na very able, plain-speaking gentleman, talked with him\nfor an hour and then reported to me. He found Barros\nJarpa holding strange views. His talk certainly indicated\na feeling that Germany will win - for he no doubt has\nfrequent assurances of this sort from the Nazi Ambassador.\nThe Foreign Minister said the world 1s changing to a new\norder and Chile must have men in Tokyo and Berlin so she\ncan watch the development; which certainly sounds as\nthough he is convinced that the Axis will determine the\nnew order.\nThree cheers for your statement about the trying and\nexecution of the gangsters and assassins among German com-\nmanders responsible for the mass assassinations in the\nconquered countries. I had said many times that since this\nis a gangster war, in which all the laws of war and humanity\nare scrapped, the gangsters after the victory cannot be\ntreated as honorable defeated soldiers and must be dealt\nwith as sommon assassins. Of course, that dates back with\nme for six years.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely yours,\nUaude known\nThe Honorable\nFranklin Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D.C.\nSantiago, August 25, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nIf you are interested, I have sent a despatch on Waldo\nFrank's visit. He placed himself absolutely under my\nguidance and did not move & finger without consultation.\nI have been disappointed by the editorial tone of\nmost of the press on the Brazilian situation. All the papers\nexpress a complete solidarity with Brazil and disgust over\nthe action of Germany and Italy. But I have no doubt the\npress, aside from the Communist and Socialist papers, took\ntheir cue from the Foreign Office. It seemed significant\nto me that President Rios' paper, LA HORA, refrained from\ncomment for fortyeight hours.\nI find little to enthuse me in the reply of Barros Jarpa\nto Aranha and but little in the President's telegram to Vargas.\nGracie, the Brazilian Ambassador, with whom I am in very close\ncontact, seemed fairly satisfied. But when I called his at-\ntention to the fact that the reference to Brazil's change in\npolicy being justified by new concrete facts, may be inter-\npreted as meaning that Chile will act likewise when she\nhas \"new concrete facts\" - that 1s an attack on Chile or her\nships - he thought there might be something to it, and was\nless satisfied.\nAs a matter of fact the President could have promptly\nbroken relations on the Brazilian attack and I am told he\nwould have had general support. I think he has missed a boat.\nThat which alarms me is this: Rios 18 not a strong man.\nHe has no imagination. No flare. No initiative. Little\nmoral courage. And he is easily swayed.\nOur situation is this: Barros Jarpa, who 18 resorting\nto everything in an effort to prevent the breaking of rela-\ntions is in position to see Rios daily and tell him whatever\nhe wishes in secret. No one else has that privilege. That\nputs us at a disadvantage. In a few days I shall see him\nunder the pretext of putting myself at his disposal regarding\nany phase of his visit to the States and he may give me an\nopening\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\n- 2 -\nopening to say that since he has said he 1s prepared to\nbreak relations I think it best for him to act before going,\nsince in that event he would gat a popular ovation. His\npride is conspicuous, or rather his vanity, and that may\nhave effect.\nBut this seems worth considering: Would it be possible\nfor you in talks with Michels to comment on the fact that\nBarros Jarpa 18 at the President's elbow, probably not in-\ncapable of misrepresenting things, and that it would be well\nfor Michels to write frequently directly to Rios and not\ndepend on his despatches to Barros Jarpa reaching him.\nMichels is in position to make it clear to him that -\n1) We understand that he has said without quali-\nfication that he will do whatever Roosevelt thinks\nnecessary or helpful in the winning of the war, in\nthe defense of the United States and the American\nnations. That he has instructed Michels to say as much\nto President Roosevelt and the Department.\n2) That President Roosevelt has replied that\nhe thinks the breaking of relations absolutely necessary.\n3) And that we naturally assume that he will\nbreak relations before leaving for the States.\nHe can say that to Rios where I cannot, without appearing\nto bring \"pressure\".\nIn this connection here 18 something that bears out my\noften repeated statement that Arturo Alessandri is running\nBarros Jarpa and is primarily responsible for the latter's\nposition. Sorriano, former Spanish Republican Ambassador,\na very clever man, came to me the other day to report on a\nremarkable conversation with Arturo Alessandri whom he knows\nvery well. He found Alessandri in a very excited state,\nholding forth with great bitterness against the United States\n8.6 a powerful country trying to impose its will on little\nChile. He attacked us all along the line and became so\nexcited that Soriano asked him, \"why are you 80 excited\".\nThis can be interpreted as a good omen. if Barros Jarpa\nhas told him that a brekk seems scheduled it would account\nfor his excitement and fury. There is no doubt that Barros\nJarpa is working very intimately with Alessandri. In my\npersonal contacts with Alessandri he is most cordial and even\nflattering, but I have not seen him recently. I can see now\nwhy Barros Jarpa was so anxious to send him to Washington.\nThe primary purpose of this letter 18 to make the\nsuggestion about Michels maintaining direct and intimate\ncontact with President Rios.\nDespite\n- 3 -\nDespite all this, the general feeling is that Chile\nis about to break. Gonzalez Videla, Chilean Ambassador\nto Brazil, who barely missed the Presidency and whom I\nreported as clearly our man in the Presidential primary,\ntold my daughter in Rio that Chile will break by the last\nof October. But he is a militant democrat andhas been\nwith us from the beginning.\n\"ith warmest personal regards,\nSincerely yours,\nclaude upowns\n/\nfile\nChile Folder\nsautings aug 30-42\nread, un Presider:-\nThes avalyte\nof Flo personal of\nPresident Rioo party\nmay possibly be of\ninterest to you\nwarmed repards\nsweety\nclauds 4 Bower\nHou Thankler ne. Roosever\nThe mate House\nSantiago, August 31, 1942.\nThe Honorable\nSummer Welles,\nUnder Secretary of State,\nWashington, D. C.\nDear Mr. Welles:\nYou may be interested in an analysis of the personnel that is to accom-\npany President Rios to Washington, sent by cable August 28th.\nAlvarez, Minister of Commerce, is one of the members of the Ministry\nthat has stood out frankly as favoring a breaking of relations with the Axis.\nHe is an engineer, a Radical, and having had two years training in a lead\nmine in Missouri he speaks English like a native, and is an easy man to get\nalong with at all times. It is fortunate that he is to go.\nBen Cohen, Ambassador in Bolivia, you know. You know his relationships\nin America and he always poses with me as a great friend of ours. I think\nhe is. His great ambition has been to be Ambassador at Washington, but he\nhas been a bit tricky and shifty in politics and he has no chance. He ought\nto be with us on the main issue and probably is, but he is a worse bargainer\nthan Rossetti, I am afraid. You know his type. Barros Jarpa says he is\ngoing because of his familiarity with the American scene.\nBen Claro is the son of a man who had many American connections and who\nrepresented American corporations as a lawyer. When his father died in New\nYork we sent Ben in our bomber to meet the ship. Ben is very bright, but\nwith that brightness which likes to display itself in disputation. He was\nin Washington about two years ago and I think he saw you. He saw President\nRoosevelt and came back very much set up about it. But at my house as my\nguest at cocktails and dinners he has been overheard in conversations criti-\ncizing us because of our big investments here. I have heard that he is against\nbreaking relations, but to me he goes no further than to say that while\nrelations must be broken sooner or later no pressure must be brought. He\nspeaks English like a native. He is well placed in the Radical party and\nwas secretary of Ríos's campaign committee. I think he was bitterly dis-\nappointed when offered no place in the Ministry, and I suspect this desig-\nnation is meant as soothing syrup. But if treated with great consideration\nI have no doubt he would favor our policy completely.\nCastelblance, President of the House of Deputies, former president of\nthe Radical party, is thoroughly democratic and a very decent man generally.\nI am told that he would be more aggressively for breaking relations but for\nthe fact that there are many Germans among his constituents. He is a\nfriend, however, of González Videla, Ambassador now in Río, and most\nmilitantly our friend, and I net him last at a small dinner given by\nGonzález when here. I would put him down as with us.\nBarrenechea, Socialist, is described to ne by Barros Jarpa as \"a\nSocialist but very decent,\" which is praise indeed. of course he is mili-\ntantly for breaking relations. Though I have never heard him, he is said\nto be a fine speaker.\nSenator Hernán Videla, who has been added since Berros Jarpa gave me\nthe list, is a Radical, a man of great ability, and essentially friendly\nto us and our cause. He knows the United States and speaks English per-\nfectly. He is an expert on minerals and I suspect he is added with the view\nto a bit of bargaining on the price of minerals.\nIn addition there are others with no political significance, such as\nValenzuela, of the Protocol office, a military aide, a private secretary.\nIt is not definitely determined that Marcelo Ruiz, former Sub-Minister\nof Foreign Affairs whom you met at Rio, and now Secretary General of the\nPresident, will go. Barros Jarpa says he may go, since the President\nfeels he \"must have a confidential adviser on the delegation.\" This is\nrather disconcerting. I have known Ruiz for three years and am convinced\nthat he is altogether wrong on the war, that his sympathies are wrong.\nWhen Rossetti was Minister he was our friend here, just as Ruíz was against\nus under cover. I hope he is left at home. You may have formed a differ-\nent opinion at Río but all my instincts, which are generally reliable,\nwarn me that he is not our friend. However, he is not a strong man and he\nwill fall in with whatever Ríos wants. Even so you will observe that the\ndelegation is overwhelmingly with us.\nI think this Embassy should be promptly furnished with the program\nwhich Barros Jarpa tells me has been made out for Rios's visit.\nWhen Rockefeller comos I an arranging a dinner to which all who ac-\ncompany Rios and Barros Jarpa will be invited, along with others like\nCruz Coke who are with us, and Cruchaga, who I am sure is most friendly\nto us.\nII.\nI em curious about your conversation with Michels about Cruchaga\nand Max Errázuriz. Did Michels try to defend the latter? Iws delighted\nwith your reply. Max is our open enemy, and since he is a miserly sort\nof person I suspect that he is profiting financially by his devotion to\nthe Pagan enemy, though his stock in trade is that he is a most pious\nCatholic, a professional.\nIII.\nReal Catholics here are more and more coming over. AS in Spain, our\n-3-\nenemies among them are of the old feudalistic aristocracy who use reli-\ngion as a cloak for their selfish political ends. On my visit to Con-\ncepción I called on the Archbishop, who seemed most appreciative, and to\nmy amazement he and the Bishop appeared at the station to see ne off in\na rain storm.\nOn visiting the 350 year old church of San Francisco here I found\nthat because of a tax on the cloisters which the church cannot stand it\nwas thought necessary to tear down part of the building and sell the\nground. It seemed such vandalism to me that I asked the priest for the\ndata and told him I would see if, as an individual, I could do anything\nabout it. I saw Barros Jarpa, told him it was none of my business, that\nI was speaking to him as an individual, with a historian's reverence for\nhistoric things and as a lover of Santiago, and asked if a way could not\nbe found to prevent this destruction. He was avowedly amazed and equally\npleased, and he said he would see what could be done. The problem has\nbeen solved. San Francisco has been saved. And Barros Jarpa has given\nthe fact, together with the correspondence, to the press.\nSaturday the corner stone of a new building of the Catholic Univer-\nsity, to replace one burned, was laid. I was invited. We had made a\ngood contribution. The Catholic Ambassadors of Perú and Bolivia were\npresent and the Catholic Minister of Poland. To my surprise I was put\nbetween the Nuncio and the Archbishop, and when the parchment scroll was\nsigned, first by the Nuncio, then the Archbishop, I was again surprised\nwhen Ims asked to sign on the first line with them.\nI think we have completely wiped out the old notion that we are a\npagan and an anti-Catholic nation.\nWarmest regards,\nSincerely,\nfund\nChile Folder\nSantiago,September 10,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nI am writing Welles about some important developments\nbut assume he will convey the information to you if he thinks it necessary\nare advisable. This is a personal letter. Some time ago I visited the\ncolonial church of San Francisco, church and monastery, built 350 years ago\nand one of the most precious possession of Santiago. The priest told me\nthat while the buildings were exempt from taxation there was a tax of\n2000 pesos a month on the cloisters which are the most charming . It\nwould be necessary he said, sadly, to tear down part of the church and\nmonastery and sell the cloisters. I told him I would see if anything could\nbe done . I went to Barros Jarpa as an individual, not as an Ambassador,\nas a historian W ith a reverence for historic things, and told him I\nthought it would be a tragedy. He was amazed but manifestly pleased and\nhe said he wouldi interest himself. As a result the tax has been reduced\nto 400 pesos a month and the ancient church is saved. Barros Jarpa then\ngave the press my letter to him and his reply ,and the press has been\nfilled with fulsome praise of me. Today I received from the Father of\nthe Franciscans the following:\n\"The Father of thr Providencial P of the Franciscans greets you\nattentively and thanks you in the name of the Franciscam monks for the\nenormous favor which you have done them in using your good offices before\nthe Chilean Government so that the internal taxes on the real estate of\nour Monastery of San Francoso is lowered and the church and monastery\nsaved from destruction. God bless the Ambassador\".\nI did this because I actually was intensely interested but it has\ncreated something of a sensation among the Catholics who deluge me with\nletters I am giving Luca de la Tena the Spanish Ambassador sent here to\nmobilize the Catholics against us a run for his money and am doing more\nfor the Catholics and getting more credit from them than he.\nI also intervened ,as you may know, to prevent Chile from deposing Lund\n,the Danish Minister from his post to make way for a Quisling appointee,\nas was done in Argentine. I was successful through several devices and\nit may interest you to know that Lund knows 1 did it and has just written\nme as follows:\n\"I want to thank you again most sincerely for your brilliant guidance and\nhelp in the matter which we may call my continued recognition in Chile .It\nwas a beautiful piece of diplomatic skill\".\nI understand that Lund has so informed the Danish Minister in Washington\nand the Government in London.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nCland yBowers\nSantingo - u.s. - chilean relations\nPSF\nChile\nLSH\nSantiago\nThis telegram must be\nclosely paraphrased be-\nDated September 11, 1942\nfore being communicated\nto anyone. (SC)\nRec'd 1:12 a.m. 14th\nSecretary of State,\nWashington,\n1467, September 11, 5 p.m.\nFOR SECRETARY AND UNDER secretary\nHad two hour talk with Schnake who resigns\nfrom Ministry to concentrate on seeking better coopera-\ntion of parties with the approval of Rios.\nHis relations with President close. He thinks it\nstupid not to break before going to Washington. Says\nRios had thought attitude toward break did not\ninclude Roosevelt but his letter to me, which I\nshowed Rios, altored his opinion and now convinced\nbreak must come. His idea is to talk over things\nin Washington and then agree. I spoke of personal\nand political advantages in break preceding visit and\nSchnake agreed. He ascribes Barros Jarpas attitude\nto pride of opinion aggravated by criticism of fellow\nministers. He doubts, however, if he is entirely frank\nwith President. I urged immediate break, but suggested\nthat if it is postponed until after visit government\nmight softon disappointment of American public if\nDECLASSIFIED\nit prepared\nState Dept. Letter, 1-11-72\nFEB\n4 1972\nBy J. Schauble Date\n-2- #1467 September 11, 5 p.m. from Santiago\nit prepared the way by (one) cutting telecommunications\nwith Axis countries, (two) by arresting and deporting\nleading Nazis and other agents, (three) and by immediately\nexpelling the former German Consul (#) General in\nNew York, and (four) by declaring Lippe persona\nnon grata. He agreed this should be done.\nHis impression is that the visit will mean a break\nand complete cooperation; that the three days in\nWashington will not permit complete plans; that\nthen someone, and he made it clear it would probably\nbe himself, will be sent to help work out the\nlines of effective cooperation.\nHe said that in all the countries Rios visits\nefforts should be made, as I have suggested proviously\nto have each country speak plainly to Rios on the\nnecessity of a break and complete cooperation. This\nhe said would make it possible for Rios to S tross the\nfact that \"pressure\" had como from all the American\nnations and not just the United States. He also said\nhe is convinced that Gustavo Rios is favoring a break\nand that he has said that \"Chile is a fool for not\ngoing in completely with the United States. a\nBOWERS\nNPL\nDelay on above message caused by 124 group omission\nin original text.\nPSF: PSF:Chile\nmal\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nTHE SECRETARY\nSeptember 14, 1942\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT\nWith reference to the attached\nletter from Ambassador Bowers I do not\nbelieve that anything more can be done\nat the present time. Mr. Welles had\ntwo rather extensive conversations\nwith the Chilean Ambassador at the\nbeginning of September, when he ex-\npressed his serious concern at the\nreports being received from Chile and\nstressing the desirability of a break\nin relations prior to Rios' visit to\nthe United States. The Ambassador\nagreed and at the second of the two\ninterviews showed Mr. Welles a very\nemphatic letter which he proposed to\nsend Rios.\nOn September tenth I had an\nextensive conversation with the\nChilean Ambassador and this morning\nI again saw the Ambassador. Copies\nof my memoranda of these conversations\nare attached.\nP.S.\nCH\nI call your special attention to tele-\ngram No. 1467 from Santiago which has\njust been received.\nCOPY:S:ARK\nChile Folder\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nMEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION\nDATE: September 10, 1942\nSUBJECT: BREAKING OF RELATIONS WITH AXIS\nPARTICIPANTS: SECRETARY OF STATE HULL AND THE CHILEAN\nAMBASSADOR, SENOR DON RODOLFO MICHELS\nThe Ambassador of Chile called at his request.\nHe said he came first to pay his respects and\nsecondly to explain why the President of Chile planned\nto stop in certain other countries en route to the\nUnited States. He said that President Rios would be\nobliged to stop one day in Lima, one day in Quito and\none day in Bogota. He added that the President had\nrecently accepted an urgent invitation to stop in\nMexico, and from there would come to the United States\ndirect, returning by way of Caracas and Rio de Janeiro.\nI promptly replied that no explanation was necessary,\nbut that I appreciated the courtesy and consideration\nimplied.\nI inquired of the Ambassador how the situation in\nChile looked from his personal viewpoint. He promptly\nreplied that he still believed that President Rios had\nno other intention than to carry out his proposal, re-\ncently made to and accepted by this Government, that\nChile dissolve diplomatic relations with the Axis powers.\nHe added that he had heard nothing to the contrary since\nhe returned from Chile. He then proceeded, however, to\nargue on his own initiative in favor of the possible\ncourse of the President of Chile in not taking this ac-\ntion on the part of his Government until his return to\nSantiago following his visit to the United States. He\ndiscussed for some minutes the wisdom of this course so\nfar as the President might be concerned. He concluded\nby saying that the President himself would have to\ndecide on the timing of the announcement dissolving dip-\nlomatic relations.\nI\n-2-\nI then said that, of course, I was aware of the\nAmbassador's personal views as expressed to the Under\nSecretary a short time ago and also conveyed in his\nletter to the President of Chile according to his\nstatement to Mr. Welles. I added that I was pleased\nand not at all surprised at the Ambassador's personal\nviews with respect to this matter, and that the Under\nSecretary and I have been in complete accord with this\nview from the time it was first discussed between the\nAmbassador and Mr. Welles. I proceeded to say that\nour two countries are in the same situation; that we\nare going up or down together depending on the outcome\nof the present war with the Axis powers, and that what\n1s to the best interests of Chile in this matter should\nbe to the best interests of the cause as a whole. I\ncontinued by saying that I was for the moment speaking\npersonally to the Ambassador in an effort to work out\nas accurately as possible what should be the official\nviews of our respective Governments.\nI then inquired of him whether, in the event the\nPresident should withhold an announcement of the action\nof his Government on this matter until his return, the\nenemy propaganda and malcontents in Chile might not\nwith effectiveness charge that the President of Chile\nhad been subjected to pressure by the United States,\nand even Mexico. The Ambassador answered that he did\nnot think SO. I remarked that in the light of my fifty\nyears of experience in dealing with public psychology,\nI could not help but take the opposite view. The Am-\nbassador finally said that he had written to President\nRios some ten days ago in an endeavor to keep the mat-\nter alive and that he expected shortly to have the\nPresident's further word on this subject.\nI thanked him and again indicated the interest of\nthis Government.\nC.H.\nS:CH:MA\nPSF: Chile\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nMemorandum of Conversation\nDATE: SEPTEMBER 14, 1942\nSUBJECT:\nBREAKING OF RELATIONS WITH AXIS\nPARTICIPANTS:\nSECRETARY OF STATE HULL AND THE AMBASSADOR OF CHILE,\nSENOR DON RODOLFO MICHELS.\nCOPIES TO:\nare 1-1493\nThe Ambassador of Chile called at his request.\nHe referred to the fact that he had conferred with\nMr. Bonsal on Saturday and had given him more or less\nthe contents of a telegram just received from his Govern-\nment. He proceeded to repeat some portions of the tele-\ngram, which he had before him in Spanish. Having read\nthe complete translation over the week-end, as given to\nme by Mr. Bonsal, I made clear to him that Mr. Bonsal\nhad acquainted me fully with their conversation on\nSaturday. The Ambassador made an earnest plea in support\nof the idea that President Rios should not break diplo-\nmatic relations with the Axis powers until after his visit\nto this and other countries in October, adding that it was\nhis own personal view that the domestic political situa-\ntion in Chile warranted the advisability of this course.\nThe Ambassador said that this was definitely the view of\nhis Government, and that, in addition, President Rios had\nrequested him to say that he preferred that this question\nshould not be further discussed. He said that this was\nall in a friendly spirit and based on the assumption that\nsuch discussion would tend to stir up controversial ele-\nments in Chile, and thus complicate the whole situation.\nI\nI thanked the Ambassador for coming in and speaking\nwith me as he did, and then proceeded to state that, of\ncourse, everything we say on this or any other subject\nrelating to the war in connection with the matter of\nChile's severing diplomatic relations with the Axis gov-\nernments would be said in the warmest spirit of friend-\nship and thoroughly amicable relations, Just as members\nof a family discuss questions among themselves. I said\nthat, of course, the Ambassador and President Rios have\nthe most perfect right to express their views fully and\nfreely about all phases of this question of breaking dip\nlomatic relations, and whatever those views are, I and\nother officials of this Government will not take umbrage\nsince this 1s the only spirit in which matters between\nour two Governments can be suitably considered and dis-\nposed of. I then said that as this matter developed,\nit was my understanding that President Rios, speaking\nthrough the Ambassador himself on his recent return from\nChile, said that he was willing to do anything considered\nnecessary for the defense of the hemisphere, and that\nPresident Roosevelt then informed Ambassador Michels\nthat the maintenance of diplomatic relations between\nChile and the Axis powers was a serious threat to the\nsecurity of the continent. Thereafter, the invitation\nwas extended to President Rios. The Ambassador agreed\nthat the invitation was thus extended after the commit-\nment had been made by the President of Chile without\nreference to the question of his visit to this country.\nI then added with some emphasis that since the President\nand the Ambassador have the right freely to offer any\ncomment in their minds at this time with respect to this\nmatter, I and my Government feel equally free to offer\nour comment, which is to adhere to the original views\nexpressed by President Roosevelt, Mr. Welles and myself\nto the effect that it would be more advisable for a break\nin relations to take place before the President's visit\nto this and other countries in October. The Ambassador\nbowed and seemed to acquiesce in the unqualified adherend\nof the President and others of us to our original views\nbut proceeded again to rehearse some of his personal\nideas in support of the opposite view. We separated with\nthe matter remaining in this way.\nIt was manifest that the Ambassador and President\nRios plan to adhere to their position that the President\nof Chile would not break off relations until his return\nto Chile, despite the adherence of this Government to\nthe opposite view.\nC.H.\nS:CH:MA:ARK\nPSF:Chile\nSantiago,September 4,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nI understand from reports that Michels said to you what\nPresident Rios told me he would instruct him to say ,that anything you\nthink ne cessary or useful in the winning of the war, for the defence of the\nUnited States ,or of the American continent, Chile would do. Unhappily\nBarros Jarpa who resorts to all manner of misrepresentations and suppress-\nions to prevent a break in relations ,which you told Michels you thought\nnecessary and useful, is still Minister of Foreign Affairs and constantly at\nthe elhow of the President. Yesterday I had an hour with Rios on the\ncutting off of telicommunications with the Axis counties and 1 was shocked\nto find that the proof submitted to his Minister that the Axisymissions\nare constantly and intensively reporting the movements of American ships\nand engaging in activities not only dangerous to us but to Chile, had not\nbeen called to his attention as his Minister had promised. I was even more\nshocked to find that he actually seemed to think that the decree issued\nrecently forbade the use of code to the Axis missions in communicating with\ntheir Governments.\nIt is now very plain to me that Rios has no thought of breaking relations\nbefore going to Washington ,though something may be done to force it.\nFive leading Senators, representing all the parties, are going to submit at\na secret session of the Senate next Wednesday when international affairs\nare to be discussed ,a resolution, signed by them all, demanding the\nbreaking of relations but whether this passes is problematical, since\nBarros Jarpa will probably have some excuse or other and hand it down as\ncoming from the President.\nThe Peruvian Ambassador at last has talked with Barros Jarpa about breaking\nand he found ,as we all do,that he is absolutely against it,and he gives\nas one of the reasons that the world order is changing and that it is\nimportant that Chile should have representation in Berlin and Tokio to\nkeep informed;the implication being that Germany will dictate the new\norder. His cousin,a Nazi ,is Ambassador in Berlin and no doubt sends him\nwhatever Goebbels gives out,and also \"very confidential information\" about\nthe state of the war ,indicating that the Axis is about to win.\nAt last we are getting a little cooperation from the British\nEmbassy which does absolutely nothing without specific instructions from\nLondon.\nI have suggested to Welles the wisdom of a very frank talk with Michels\nwho conveyed the pledge of Rios. It can be safely said that our information\nis that there is no serious thought of breaking relations before he goes to\nWashington and that we hear from many sources that he gives the impressiom\nto some who see him that he has no really serious thought of breaking at\nall unless Chile is directly attacked. Having said that ,we can properly\nask Michels for his interpretation of the pledge he was instructed to\nconvey.\nThere is a powerful and numerous pro-Nazi group here ,posing as friends of\nours who can see no advantage to us in breaking relations and these are\nacquaintances of the President who go in relays to him with their story.\nThese are backed up by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.\nUnder these circumstances I think it of the utmost importance that\nMichels communicate directly to the President just how we feel in Washington\nMost of these people here are afraid of the United States ,of the economic\ndamage we can do Chile if forced to it, but as the Peruvian Ambassador says\nthey feel they are on velvet now and that if they can get away with it it is\nall to the good. For that reason I think plain speaking in Washington to\nMichels is most important.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon. Franklin D.Roosevelt\nclaud Bower\nThe White House.\nChile Folder\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nwashington\nSeptember 11, 1942\nMEMORANDUM FOR\nTHE SECRETARY OF STATE:\nShould we do something about\nthis?\nF.D.R.\nLetter from Hon. Claude G. Bowers, Embassy of the\nU.S.A., Santiago, Chile, 9/4/42, to the President.\nMr. Bowers refers to Barros Jarpa, Minister of\nForeign Affairs of Chile, who is absolutely against\nbreaking relations with the Axis. Mr. Michels,\nwho conveyed to the President the message from\nPresident Rios, that anything the President of the\nUnited States thought necessary or useful in the\nwinning of the war, for the defense of the U.S. or\nof the American continent, Chile would do. Mr.\nBowers feels that some plain speaking in Washington\nto Michels is most important. He feels sure there\nis no serious thought of breaking relations before\nPresident Rios goes to Washington.\nPSF Chile Folder\nSantiago, Chile, September 21, 1942.\nfiler\nDear Mr. President:\nRockefeller has come and gone and has acted in conformity\nwith my suggestions. I gave him leave to reply frankly to all\nquestions as to how we feel at home about Chile's policy, and\nsince those who talked with him and cultivated him were the\nbusiness crowd and politicians interested primarily in that\ncrowd, and these are for not breaking relations, what he said\nI think was effective. They have the notion--the name explains--\nthat he is the man who decides what they can get here in the\nway of money and material. They thought he would speak their\nlanguage. Instead he spoke a very robust American language.\nHowever, I have reported all this in detail to the Department.\nIt occurs to me that it might be helpful for you to have\na rather intimate portrait of President Ríos before you talk\nwith him. He is a man of fair education but very provincial.\nHe is a lawyer of fair ability and has represented corpora-\ntions mostly. Among our business men here he was represented\nto me in the days of Aguirre Cerda as a \"strong man\". I have\nfound him incredibly weak, not remotely comparable with Aguirre\nCerda. He is reactionary as to domestic politics, and his\nreputation for \"strength\" comes from his attitude toward labor\nand strikers. He believes in he club for them.\nHe is a man without an ideology, without ideals, without\nstrong convictions or principles. He is a second rate politi-\ncian, an opportunist. Elected by the Leftest parties, his\nsupreme ambition is to make such terms with the Rightest\nparties as to make it possible for him to rid himself of any\ndependence on the parties that elected him. One of the mis-\nsions of Barros Jarpa, a Rightest, in the Ministry, is to help\nThe Honorable\nDECLASSIFIED\nState Dept. Letter, 1-11-72\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nFEB\nBy J. Scheuble Date\n4\n1972\nWashington, D.C.\nbring this about. Unhappily the Rightests here, as in Spain\nand everywhere, are not really against dictatorships. They,\nhere, as parties are not supporters of our policy. And since\nRíos thinks in terms of local politics entirely, he is loth\nto adopt a policy that might interfere with his plans for a\nCentre or better still a Rightest regime.\nWhen I say he is weak I do not mean that he lacks physical\ncourage. He has very little moral courage, I am afraid. I des-\ncribed him to Rockefeller as \"the Warren G. Harding of Chilean\npolitics\". After some talks with him, Rockefeller thought I\nhad\"hit him off uncannily\".\nHe is not a Nazi. He realizes Chile's economic dependence\non us. He wants to be considered our firm friend. He was\npleased as Punch with his invitation to visit us and is greatly\nworried lest we get the impression he is not friendly. Like\nBarros Jarpa he is partial to American investments down here and\nthinks that we as a nation judge other nations by their attitude\ntoward American business interests. Lacking ideals or an ideology,\nhe finds it difficult to believe that we put the preservation of\ndemocratic institutions immeasureably above our moneyed interests.\nBut he is awakening slowly. He would have awakened earlier\nbut for his Foreign Minister who is not entirely frank with him.\nI am persuaded that he is also a bit afraid. I am sure he\nfears that an attempt may be made by the Nazis here to make\ntrouble if he breaks relations. He dreads it.\nHis personal popularity does not approach that of Aguirre\nCerda. His character explains that in part. He has lived apart\nfrom his wife for eight or nine years. There was a momentary re-\nconciliation for the purposes of the campaign and they lived to-\ngether a little over a month after he entered office. Then she\npacked up and went to California. The reason heard here is that\nhe resumed his relations with his mistress, a big blond Nazi\nGerman woman, and his wife is said to have tossed some article\nat him--playfully I hope--and left the house. The other story\nis that his wife bought all the clothes in town and he rebelled\nagainst the bill. These are the tales of the gossips. I do\nknow that he and his friends do not want his wife invited East\nwhen he is there, the reason given being that she \"might create\na scandal\". When she left for the States, I inquired as to the\npropriety of going to the plane to see her off and Barros Jarpa\nadvised\nadvised against it. So that is that. He is very much of a\nladies' man and we know some of his lady playmates. He is a\nrather impressive looking man, tall and with et fine head and\ngood features, but you will see at a glance that he is a weak\none.\nI have a feeling that when you come into contact with him,\nhe will shrivel and agree to almost anything you ask. Morales,\nhis Minister of Interior, says that he will tell you the exact\ndate when he will break with the Axis.\nWhile I am seeing him this week again to press for an im-\nmediate cutting off of telicommunications and an immediate break,\nI have no confidence in my success.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nClaude ynown\nNon. Summer Welles you 10/13/421 deliving Bowers.\nSigned original of their letter acturned 8 mr. to\nhm\nchile fredu 1-42\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nOctober 13, 1942\nWASHINGTON\nMy dear Claude:\nI wish to acknowledge your letter of September 24,\n1942, outlining the effect that may be anticipated as a\nresult of a reduction of Chile's fuel supply to forty\npercent of the last year's consumption figure. I under-\nstand that the Department of State recently sent you a\ntelegram explaining the necessity for this reduction,\nwhich, in the case of Chile, did not become effective\nuntil October 1 of this year.\nThe increased demand for oil tankers to be used in\nwar operations is primarily responsible for the fuel\nshortage in the Western Hemisphere. Many countries\nhave already taken steps to meet the existing shortage\nand I am sure you appreciate that there has been no\ndiscrimination against Chile in so far as fuel allot-\nments are concerned.\nOur first consideration, naturally, is to use our\nexisting transportation facilities to supply fuel to\nthe actual theaters of war, and civilian needs in all\ncountries must be considered secondary. Whenever the\nspecial circumstances make it possible, additional\nallotments of fuel will be made to enable reserve\ninventories to be built up in the various countries\nof the Western Hemisphere.\nWith cordial regards, I am\nVery sincerely yours,\n(Signed) Franklin D. Roosevelt\nThe Honorable\nClaude G. Bowers,\nAmerican Ambassador,\nSantiago, Chile.\nSantiago, September 24, 1942.\nDear Mr. President:\nThis morning I was asked by President Ríos to advise\nyou that if we persist in the announced reduction in gasoline\nto 40 per cent of last year the effect, economically, will\nbe disastrous, resulting in the closing down of factories\nand shops and the unemployment of men. He tells me that pri-\nvate cars will be refused gasoline beginning October 1st,\nbut, with this gain, the 40 per cent reduction would be,\neconomically, very serious and even grave. He is afraid,\nand I have no doubt he is right, that this sort of upheaval\neconomically will be used against his regime and his plan\nfor breaking relations, by the Nazi element.\nSome time ago Phillip Clover, Special Assistant to\nhandle the gasoline rationing in Chile, was here and made\n& very thorough investigation, and he reported that to re-\nduce Chile lower than 60 per cent compared with last year\nwould be disastrous economically. Our own people in the\nEmbassy, who are experts on the subject and on the ground,\nagree with Clover. Apparently the gasoline people in\nWashington, with this recommendation and advice before them,\ndecided to reduce, not to 60, or even 50, but to 40 per cent.\nOn the advice of those in the Embassy in charge, I tele-\ngraphed all this to the Department long ago, urging some-\nthing more compatible with the positive economic needs,\nbut no reply has been received. I sent a follow-up telegram\nasking for a reply some time ago, and no answer.\nThe President,\nThe White House.\n-2-\nJust now we are primarily interested in the breaking\nof relations; and in this respect we have made great pro-\ngress in the last month. Politically, we all feel that it\nwould be a great setback, resulting in bitter resentment,\nif factories must close, farms go uncultivated, essential\ntransportation fail, and men be thrown out of jobs upon\nthe streets. Clover put the figure at 60 per cent. Some\nof my people feel the Chileans might get along barely with\na 50 per cent reduction; everyone agrees that 40 per cent\nis disastrous. If someone has some purpose in all this it\nwould be highly advantageous were we to be informed. We will\nbe blamed by many because private cars are taken from the\nstreet, but with that I am not concerned; it is a different\nmatter when factories are closed, unemployment is forced,\nand absolutely essential transportation facilities are\ndenied. I hope that something can be done about it.\nWith warmest regards, I am\nFaithfully yours,\nChande yBowns\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nOctober 12. 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI have the honor to refer to your memorandum of\nOctober 2 requesting that a reply be prepared to &\nletter dated September 24 from Ambassador Bowers at\nSantiago.\nThere is enclosed for your signature, if you\napprove, & draft of a reply to Ambassador Bowers'\nletter.\nA yours, Niths\nEnclosures:\n1. Letter from\nAmbassador Bowers,\nSeptember 24, 1942.\n2. Draft of reply to\nAmbassador Bowers.\nThe President,\nThe White House.\nDepartment of State\nBUREAU\nDIVISION\n}\nRA\nENCLOSURE\nTO\nLetter drafted\n10/7/42\nADDRESSED TO\nThe President,\nThe White House.\n- A. GOVERNMENT PAINTIRE OFFICE\n1-1033\ngream\nChile Folder Chile Folder\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nwashington\nOctober 2, 1942.\nMEMORANDUM FOR\nTHE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE\nFOR PREPARATION OF REPLY\nFOR MY SIGNATURE.\nF. D.R.\nLetter to the Pres. from Claude Bowers\nChile, Sept. 24th.\nchile folder 1-42\nfriend\nSantiago, October 19, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI am enclosing copy of a letter to Welles that\nhas some amusing features. Rios is now awake to the\nsituation in which Barros Jarpa has placed him and the\ncountry and has apparently turned upon him. If drastic\naction against the spy ring 1s taken, as promised for\nthis week, something will have been done to create a\nbetter atmosphere for the visit; and if Rios completely\nshuts off all telecommunications with the Ax1s that should\nhelp. I personally feel Rios should first break and then\ngo, fixing a date for the visit far enough in advance;\nbut he seems rather strongly convinced that it is of the\nutmost advantage for him to be able to say to the congress-\nional leaders and others that on his trip he found all\nthe South and Central American nations agreed that Chile\nshould break and that he cannot, and will not, have Chile\nisolated. It is possible of course that if drastic action\nis taken against the spies, and telecommunication is com-\npletely shut off, a controversy with the Axis missions may\nresult which will force a speedy break. It is 80 advan-\ntageous to the Axis, however, to have a free hand here that\nI doubt if the Axis countries will take the initiative in\nbreaking.\nThe case of Barros Jarpa is tragic. He has been a\ngreat friend of ours for years and all the American colony\nwere devoted to him, and most of his clients were the Ameri-\ncan corporations, and he finds himself anathema with his\nold friends, and about to be repudiated by the President.\nI am told that he is terribly depressed. His attitude 1s\nutterly inexplicable to me on any ground other than one so\ninfamous that I would rather not mention it.\nWith warmest personal regards, I am\nMost sincerely yours,\nclaude yBowes\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D.C.\nSantiago, October 19, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nThe Nazi honeymoon resulting from the postponement\nis now over and Chileans whose brains would not rattle\nin a mustard seed are now most contrite and humble.\nGeneral Escudero and high functionaries of the Army are\ndepressed and told Colonel Johnson that they felt they\nhad \"lost a friend\". President Rios 1s depressed and I\nhear from several quarters that he is through with Barros\nJarpa. The best proof of his loss of confidence in his\nMinister 18 his action in consulting with the Sub-Minister\ninstead, and in rejecting Barros Jarpa's idea that Rios\nshould not go to the States now. He now seems in a mood\nto cut off telecommunications with the Ax1s completely.\nThis week will tell whether Morales means business about\nthe espionage ring. He has promised the arrests of the\neighteen leaders whose names, with proof, were furnished\nthe Foreign ffice three months ago. I am told from seem-\ningly dependable quarters that there will be a reorganization\nof the Government with Barros Jarpa out this week. The\nlatter 18 much depressed and humble and apparently would\ngive much to be able to retrace his steps. He has been\nseeking some way out without any ostensible back-down\non his part, and, as you know, has expressed the hope that\nBrazil will smooth things over. Gracie tells me that\nAranha is now willing to act on the assumption that there\n18 nothing to mediate. EL MERCURIO will henceforth work\nfor a rupture in relations, according to Agustin Edwards.\nEmilio Edwards Bello came to thank me for the infor-\nmation I sent him from you, and he tells me he did go to\nAlessandri to inform him that he had his story all wrong.\nHe found Alessandri in bed sick, and the old man at first\nflamed and tried to tell his visitor just what his visitor\nhad actually done in Habana, but the visitor stood stoutly\nby his guns, told him you are a friend of Chile and of all\nthe Americas, and finally the old man subsided and agreed.\nAlessandri\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nDepartment of State,\nWashington, D.C.\n- 2 -\nAlessandri insisted that he is a friend of ours which I\ngravely question. and pointed to a copy of \"Jefferson and\nHamitlon\" on his bed which I had inscribed to him, and\nsaid he hoped we are still friends.\nThe truthis that domestic politics and personal political\nambitions have played a major part in the confusion here.\nRossetti is demanding that the Rio agreements be lived\nup to. Barros Jarpa told Gracie that the agreements may\nbe submitted to Congress for ratification and Rios had said\nas much to the Sub-Minister, notwithstanding the fact that,\nat the instance of Barros Jarpa, the President had prevented\nthe ratification when Rossetti was pressing for it just\nbefore he went out, on the ground that all this was the\nprerogative of the President and that this could not be\ncompromised by a submission. Gracie told Barros Jarpa\nthat of course the submission would be a great triumph for\none man who would make the most of it \"Who\", asked Barros\nJarpa. \"Rossetti\", said Gracie. \"Well, let him\", said B.J.\nI have stood aside, said nothing, seen no one, and\nafter the cancellation of my dinner I cancelled a fair at\nthe Embassy to raise money for the war workers here. and had\nthe things donated for raffle returned, and the ticket\nmoney as well. This has worried them quite a lot and the\nmerchants were very nervous, evidently fearing that they\nhad incurred our displeasure and might find themselves on\nthe Black List. They were reassured and told that if the\nfair is held later they will have another opportunity to\ncontribute. The Chileans are now going out of their way\nto appear cordial.\nThe atmosphere here is better for us as a result of\nthe upheaval. The Axis people now seem certain the rupture\nwill come. The ACCION SHILENA, whose editor is in Jail\nbecause of its infamous attack on Roosevelt, came out this\nweek with an article which implies that a rupture is coming\nand attacking me as \"shameless and cynical\" and engineering\na rupture with \"friendly nations\". I am ignoring this last\nissue.\nThat which saves the situation more than anything else\nis the Chileans fine sense of humor. They are laughing at\nBarros Jarpa, laughing at the sending of the spies to Zapallar,\nsaying that they are going to turn Nazi spies to get a summer\nat Zapallar at Government expense. The aristocracy with\nvillas there are protesting indignantly about making &\nspy nest of the place and the spies are now removed from\nthere. TOPAZE, the best paper of humor in South America,\nalways\n- 3 -,\nalways strongly with us, is full of amusing sketches.\nYou figure in one. Roosevelt standing on the steps of the\nWhite House smiling and with a chin that almost drags the\nground is saiting for Rios who is approaching up the walk\nwhen you, from behind a tree with a sling knock off Rios'\nplug hat. This alone might be misinterpreted, but taken\nwith all the rest of the issue it is not misinterpreted\nhere. Another sketch is based on the practice here of the\nladies putting their hair in curl papers before a party.\nAll the members of Ries party for the trip are shown with\ntheir hair in ourl papers and an expression of utter con-\nfusion on their faces.\nWith warmest personal regards,\nSincerely yours,\nPSF:Chile\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nOctober 19, 1942.\nMEMORANDUM FOR\nTHE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE\nFOR PREPARATION OF REPLY\nTO AMBASSADOR BOWERS IF YOU DEEM\nONE NECESSARY.\nF. D. R.\nLetter to the President\nfrom Ambassador Bowers, dated\nOctober 10, 1942, re President's\nrios' visit to the U. S. and\nUnder Secretary of Welles' speech\nin Boston.\nchile folder\n1-42\nEMBASSY OF THE\nUNITED STATES OF AMERICA\nSantiago, October 10, 1942\nMy dear Mr. Early:\nI wish you would have the enclosed letter\nto the President delivered at once sinceit is of\nvital and pressing importance.\nSincerely yours,\nclaude effower\nThe Honorable\nStephen Farly,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D. C.\nfill al\nchile folder\n1-42\nOctober 22, 1942.\nDear Claude:-\nThank you much for yours of the\nfifteenth. We are keeping discreetly quiet.\nI hope you liked my cordial reply to Rios.\nI really meant it when I talked about sitting\naround a table peacefully and talking things\nover.\nI do hope and believe things will\nwork out all right.\nMy best wishes to you,\nAlways sincerely,\nHonorable Claude G. Bowers,\nAmerican Embassy,\nSantiago,\nChile.\nPSF:Chile\nSantiago, October 15,1942\nDear Mr. President:\nIn case it may interest you I am enclosing a copy of\nmy letter to Welles. With a secret enemy like Barros Jarpa,\nposing ostentatiously as a cordial friend, it was inevitable\nthat Welles' statement of the bald facts would be seized upon\nto prevent the Rios visit. I have felt all along that Barros\nJarpa would do anything within his power to prevent Rios\nfrom meeting you. He has eeized upon the Boston speech to\nmisrepresent what was said; has bullied the press here, with\nthe exception of the Socialist, and the Communist organs\ninto playing his game, and for the moment made himself into\na national hero. Not however with the intelligent and the\nmasses who have been with us all the time.\nIt has since occurred to me that possibly Welles' speech\nwas intended to postpone the visit of Rios until he breaks\nrelations. If 80 it was a heroic method and I am hopeful\nit will be successful. It has been enormously helpful because -\nI have poured in on Barros Jarpa positive proof of the\noperations of the Nazi espionage ring here and he has kept\neverything from the press, not to mention the Senate, and\nas I found five weeks ago not even to President Rios. The\nWelles speech brings this out dramatically. The people\nthemselves know now what we think.\nToo much importance must not be attached to the seeming\ngeneral jubilation over Barros Jarpa \"defending the national\nhonor\". There is a very large and influential element here,\nfinancially and socially important, which is secretly if\nnot openly pro-Nazi, anti-democratic and anti-American. All\nthese have rushed into print and shouted.\nThen, with the exception of the Socialist and Communist\norgans which are making a fight on Barros Jarpa, all the\nother papers here, easily intimidated, were called in and\ngiven orders by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to make\nthe most of the incident. EL MERCURIO, the highest grade\npaper\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington.\n- 2 -\npaper here, really a distinguished paper, resented the\ndictation I am sure and when Arturo Alessandri issued\nhis distinctly pro-Nazi lying letter, EL MERCURIO called\nup the Foreign Office and protested against its publication.\nIt was told to print it. This paper goes on the theory that\nregardless of who is in power, the press should support the\nGovernment, but in the present instance it 1s fed up.\nDay before yesterday the Agricultural Society gave its\nbig dinner and this was made the occasion for a big ovation\nfor Barros Jarpa. But it is well to remember that this\nSociety is composed of the old feudalistic landowning\naristocracy which 18 bitterly anti-democratic, always pro-\ntotalitarian, and now pro-Nazi and pro-Argentine and anti-\nUnited States. It is hated by the mass of the people.\nThe people now are beginning to awaken to a realization\nof the fact that neither the sovereignty nor dignity of Chile\nwas insulted by the Boston speech, and that they have been\nlead by Barros Jarpa into an attitude offensive to the one\nnation on which the economic life of Chile now depends. Some\nbitterness is developing in consequence against him. Last\nnight Marcial Mora, former Minister for Foreign Affairs and\nof Finance, and former President of the Bank of Chile, came\nto me to express his disgust. He came out militantly for\nbreaking relations some time ago. He was frankly alarmed over\nthe possible effect on Chile. Senator Cruz Coke came to the\nhouse last night seething with indignation. Senator Maza,\nhead of the Liberal Party, very conservative, and until recently\nagainst breaking relations, but for some time now in favor of\nit, has resigned the Presidency of the Party and the directors\nof the Party with him.\nAt this moment I feel -\nThat you having sent a cordial letter to Rios, our\nposition now should be one of silence while these people sweat\nand come to a realization that Chile must break relations and\nact drastically against Nazi and Axis espionage. I do not\nthink we should make a single move. It is clearly up to\nRios now. The less we say the more nervous these people will\nbecome. I am saying absolutely nothing and have issued orders\nto the heads of all sections in the Embassy to instruct all\nunder them that they are to say absolutely nothing if ap-\nproached beyond \"it 1s too bad\".\nMany decisive things may happen here before this\nreaches you, - the resignation of the Government and a\nreorganization, with Barros Jarpa out, seems possible before\nSunday.\n- 3 -\nSunday.\nI am informed that Rios has in mind making\nBen Claro Foreign Minister and while he is a bright\nyoung man, I could name a score of others better qualified\nand for us more dependable.\nWith warmest personal regards,\nMost sincerely yours,\ncraum\nSantiago, October 15, 1942\nDear Mr. Welles:\nYou may find it convenient to have a review of the\nincidents here relating to the Boston speech. There cer-\ntainly was not one word in the speech that does not conform\nto the precise facts. The reaction here 18 of two sorts.\nIn the case of Barros Jarpa and his pro-Nazi Fifth Column\nallies it was one of pretended outrage because of a simulated\n\"insult\" to the dignity of Chile. This 18 pure Nazi propa-\nganda. In the case of PresidentRios it was a little different.\nI have no doubt that the reaction of our press on the speech\ndid create an unhappy atmosphere for his trip. I have many\nreasons for believingthat it was with the greatest reluctance\nthat he postponed it.\nThe subtle misrepresentations of Barros Jarpa of the\nspeech, conveying the impression, popularly held in consequence,\nthat you had said that Chile is stabbing her American neighbors\nin the back, instead of that the Nazi espionage rings here\nare stabbing them in the back; and the fact that the Govern-\nment here, which in this instance means Barros Jarpa, has\nfailed to give out the statement made to Michels by President\nRoosevelt in your presence, have had a bad effect on public\nopinion.\nHaving built up a case by misrepresentations and suppres-\nsion, Barros Jarpa and the Nazi element have been making\nthe most of it. The fact 1s that Just before this Barros Jarpa\nwas very much on the defensive and there was a general feel-\ning that he could not last long. New he has set to work to\nconvert himself into a national hero, Horatio at the bridge,\nvaliantly defending the sovereignty and dignity of his country,\nagainst the Colossus of the North. This has been done largely\nthrough the press. Before giving out his statement which\ncontained lies, he summoned all the papers to his office and\ngave instructions as to what he wanted said and what he wanted\nunsaid. This has had no effect on LA CRITICA, the Socialist\norgan\nThe Honorable\nSumner Welles,\nActing Secretary of State,\nWashington, D.C.\n- 2 -\norgan, or EL SIGLO, the Communist, but all the others, with\nthe exception of EL MERCURIO which has been reasonable\nthroughout, have fallen in line with zest. The result has\nhas been that the press for some days has been filled with\nglorifications of Barros Jarpa, some in editorials, some\nin special articles and letters, some in telegrams sent to\nthe Minister, and - this seems serious to me - some in edi-\ntorials of commendation from Brazilian papers.\nThere 18 no doubt in my mind, as I had reported, that\nBarros Jarpa was much chagrined over Rios' prospective visit\nand that he was most eager to find a pretence to sabotage\nthe trip. In this sense the speech played into his hands.\nBut, on the other hand, the suppressions by Barros Jarpa\nof essential facts pertaining to Ax1s espionage had utterly\nconfused the public as to the realities, and the speech\nhas shocked them into a realization that something must be\nwrong. At first blush I think they Jumped to the conclusion\nthat you merely intended to insult them; but they are now\nbeginning to suspect that you would never have made such a\nstatement without ample justification. And the fact that\nPresident Roosevelt has sustained your position convinces\nthem all the more. The original thought of our enemies was\nto differentiate between you and President Roosevelt, and\nto create the impression that the latter would not approve.\nNo one longer entertains that fantastic idea.\nThe speech and the reaction have also served a good\npurpose in that it has brought various men out in their\ntrue colors. I fancy the Department no longer thinks , if\nit ever thought, that my impressions of Arturo Alessandri\nwere dictated by prejudice. But in an article of glorifi-\ncation of Barros Jarpa's attitude, I find the names sub-\nscribed of Juvenal Hernandez, Rector of the University,\nwhom I have always thought pro-German and anti-American;\nJorge Matte, who would have been Foreign Minister if Barros\nJarpa had not been and who is absolutely against offending\nthe Axis; Carlos Vial, President of the Compañia Sud-americana\nde Vapores, and of course our old Nazi friend del Pedregal\nof the Fomento Corporation.\nOur supporters have been momentarily silenced and over-\nwhelmed because of the merry pro-Barros Jarpa crusade of\nthe press; they have been afraid to say much lest what\nthey say be put down to hostility to President Rios; but\ntheir opinion as to breaking relations has not altered in\nthe least and their opposition to Barros Jarpa has intensified.\nEL SIGLO\n- 3 -\nEL SIGLO and LA CRITICA have ferociously attacked\nBarros Jarba, demanding his resignation, and the Socialist\nParty has formally demanded the immediate breaking of\nrelations and the removal of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.\nAs the conservative elementinterested selfishly in the\neconomic well-being of the country begin to reflect on the\nwisdom of attacking or opposing the one nation on which\nChile is economically dependent, I have no doubt that there\nwill be a change in them and that they will reach the con-\nclusion that Barros Jarpa has rendered a great disservice\nto the nation.\nII\nThe arrest of the three Nazi spies, including the\nPresident of the German Bank as the leader, and of the\nformer Consul General in New York dwindles in importance\nin view of the fact that they are not to be expelled, on\nthe pretext that Argentina will not permit them to enter\nthat country even to get a boat for Spain. They are not\nimprisoned. Barros Jarpa had told me that if they could\nnot find a way out they would be confined to some obscure\nout-of-the way little town under police supervision. It\nnow develops that they are sentenced to a summer at\nZapallar, the Newport of Chile, the choicest summer spot\nin the country, within easy reach of Valparaiso, and\nthick with Axis sympathizers, and they will in no sense\nbe confined but will be free to come and go about at will\nand only be compelled to report once a week to the police\nin Zapallar. The German Ambassador, and Leisewitz of the\nGerman Embassy to my personal knowledge are in and out of\nZapallar constantly. I have not the slightest doubt but\nthat they are being sent to Zapallar to please, if not on\nthe request of, the German Ambassador. I should think it\nwell worth while if some American humorist would write a\nfunny story on the mockery of the thing and have the A.P.\nand U.P. send it to Chile.\nIII\nRooseveltis reply in a friendly way to Rios' telegram\n1s entirely satisfactory but nothing more should be done\nnow but the Chileans should be permitted to sweat in our\nsilence. I have instructed all the people at the Embassy\nthat they are to refuse to discuss the controversy. I find\nthat our silence makes them sweat and worry more than\nanything else.\nIV\nAs you know Barros Jarpa has been gunning for Michels\never since he went in. Because Michels in an interview\nafter leaving President Roosevelt expressed himself as\n- 4 -\nsatisfied and said the incident seemed closed, the Minister\nand his cohorts are trying to work up a sentiment against\nhim, with the hope of having him removed. EL IMPARCIAL\nlast night had a cartoon with Michels up in the air looking\ndazed and saying, as he said on leaving the White House\nthat \"he could see the rainbow\", while a noble citizen\nlooking up from the ground remarks that he seems \"up in the\nmoon\". Of course I do not think Rios would dare remove him\nand I am sure he has no thought of doing SO.\nWith warmest personal regards, I am\nSincerely yours,\nChile folder 1-42\n11\nthey and\nSantiago, October 24, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nNothing but some great blunder can prevent the hoped\nfor rupture with the Ax1s now, and I hear from various sources\nthat it may come within a few days. Duhalde, the Minister of\nDefense, and the strongest man in the Government, told a\nfriend of mine that \"It is a matter of hours\". Nothing can\nbe expected until Fernandez the new Minister of Foreign Affairs\narrives on Sunday. We have reached the point where further\nattacks during the next week or ten days on Chile's failure\nto act would be harmful.\nI find among even those most strongly withus a feeling\nthat the dignity of Chile has been offended rather seriously\nbecause as far as the public knows we have not taken the\ntrouble to reply to Chile's protest. Of course you made the\nreply in person to Michels and Chile was authorized to give\nit out. For manifest reasons, of course, Barros Jarpa sup-\npressed it and people generally have the impression we have\ntreated an official statement of Chile's with the contempt\nof silence. I have telegraphed my opinion that our reply\nas submitted to me should be given the U.P. and A.P.\nRios is as eager to go to Washington as can be and is\ndetermined to go and his cordiality to me in public yesterday\nat the review in the O'Higgins ceremony was rather unusual.\nI am becoming rather uneasy over the disposition of our\nAmbassador's in other South American countries to give out\ninterviews against Chile, since I can assure you your Ambassa-\ndoe in Chile is infinitely better qualified to know what\nshould and should not be said to fit in with the situation of\nthe moment. I understood that these over-eager colleagues\nwere given the facts as background to feed the press quietly\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D.C.\nand not to issue official statements. I have an unpleasant\nrecollection of the timewhen your Ambassador in Spain\nwas reporting the exact truth when American Ambassadors\nhere, there, and everywhere were reporting on Spain in\ncontradiction to my reports, getting it all \"out of the horse's\nmouth\" - mostly Fifth Columnists. The record is most\neloquent now as to who was right and knew what he was about.\nWith highest personal regards, I am\nMost sincerely yours\nClaude yBowers\nchile folder\nfillows.\n1-42\nSantiago,October 29,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nAs 1 telegraphed the Department at the time, your\nteølegraphic reply to Rios was magnificent and took the wind out of\nthe sails of our enemies. I took the liberty in a personal note to\nRios to quote from your letter about the sincerety of your statement\nabout sitting down like brothers ,and this morning Fernandez, the new\nForeign Minister, told me Rios is delighted and is writing me.\nAt his frtst diplomatic reception this morning only the Germans,\nItalians and Japanese were absent ,these being received later. Fernan-\ndez was most ostentatious in his attentions to me.After passing all\nalong the line he immediately hurried back to me and talked a long\nwhile ,and 1 noticed the tip off from a functionary of the Ministry to\nthe photographer who caught us in conversation. I have the feeling\nthat Fernandez is a pure opportunist and that his policy will be\ndictated by Rios absolutely. ne seems more hearty and cordial since\nhis conferences with Rios than when I first saw him before he had\nthese conferences. He told me this morning that Rios has given orders\nto proceed drastically and intensively against the espionage ring.\nThe press at home may have had something about the\ncollege student \"demonstrations\" and may have exaggerated. The fact\nmy house\nis one evening about 25 students appeared in front, sang the national\nantem, h and then left a letter to me. was at the office, not home, .The\nletter was most respectful, complimentary to the United States and to\nme ,and declared the students in complete sympathy with the Allies and\nthoroughly democratic, but that they were hurt because Chile's protest\nhad been ignored. 1 told the servants that if they appeared again to\ninvite them in and summon me;but the next days a gang of young nazis\nhitched on / and the officers at the gate refused them entrance. 1 then\nsent a note to the young men who had come first and told them 1 would\nbe glad to receive a committee of fifteen. They appeared the next day\nand 1 found them spåèndid young fellows, really on our side, really\nhurt because they thought the protest had been treated with contemptu+\nous silence. I had three members of the staff there so there could be\nno misrepresentation of what was said and I heard their spokesman\nand discussed matters with them for almost two hours. We then posed\nin a group for a picture.\nBy inviting them in and treating them as I did it smashed the plan\nof the Nazis ,and the leading magazine here gives the front page cover\nto the protograph with the comment that nothing could better illustrate\nthe spirity of democracy and particularly of the democracy of the\nAmerican nations. I assured these boys that you personally had replied\non October IOth ,and 1 told them at length about the espionage\nactivities here.\nThere is no doubt that Rios is most eager to make the journey .Now\nthat arrests are being made of the nazi and Axis spies on a large\nscale, I have suggested here that it would be well were the Government\nto give the A.P. and U.P. full stories on these arrests for the papers\nof the United States --useful in creating a better atmosphere for the\nvisit.\nAm disgusted with Wilkies playing of Jim Watson politics after he\nhad had the doors thrown u open to him through your letters. John Lamb\n,of Indiana, the wisest politician I ever knoew ,often said to me that\n\"if you b go to bed with your enemies you get lice\". I was favorably\nimpressed with Wilkies conduct until after and during his last trip\nwhen\nand he began to play the demagogue with an international situation.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nclauds \"Bower\non.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nThe White House.\nChile folder\nSantiago, November 7, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nThe situation as to Chile now is this:\nFirst there is no longer any doubt of her determination\nto break relations with the Axis and to proceed energetically\nagainst Axis espionage.\nSecond, President Rios 18 eager to make his trip and\nwants the atmosphere prepared in the United States so he\ncan have the kind of reception a Chilean President must have.\nThird, immediately on his return he proposes to break\nrelations, basing his action on the ground that not \"pressure\nfrom the United States\" but the common desire of all the\nAmerican countries he had visited makes it imperative and\ndesirable.\nWhen I saw Rios last Tuesday he talked along this line\nand thought it would be most helpful if some one high in\nauthority in Washington said something in commendation of\nthe present activities of the Government against Axis espionage\nand expressed confidence in Rios' intentions to cooperate\nfully. I telegraphed Washington proposing the plan which\nwas adopted of having a correspondent at a press conference\nask either you or Hull for comment. The effect here has been\nsplendid. President Rios, Fernandez, the Minister for\nForeign Affairs, Ruiz Solar, Secretary-General of the Presi-\ndent, Morales, the Minister of the Interior, have expressed\ntheir gratitude warmly to me and the diplomats of our\nAmerican allies are delighted.\nI think that unless conditions here force a rupture\nbefore we must reconcile ourselves to having Chile act now\nand persistently against German espionage and let her have\nher way about breaking on Rios' return. I find that\npractically\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D.C.\npractically all my American colleagues think it best in the long\nrun that way. They fear that an immediate break would be ascribed\nto \"pressure\" or \"dictation\" from us, and they feel that Rios'\nidea of returning with the announcement that in all American\nnations but one, he found the feeling that Chile should break\nand for the sake of solidarity he was breaking, would be less\ndifficult for Rios and divert attacks from us.\nThat Rios is eager to go I know. Intimate official asso-\nciates of the President tell me that he cannot go until after\nthe visit of the President of Ecuador but that he plans to go\nimmediately thereafter, and Ben Cohen, Ambassador in Bolivia,\nwho was summoned here to accompany Rios a month ago, tells me\nhe is remaining here since it would not be worthwhile for him\nto return to La Paz and then come back in three weeks.\nThe press is now making an open campaign for rupture on\nthe request of Rios and the Foreign Minister. The other night\n60,000 people of all parties, all but the Conservatives, staged\na demonstration without precednet in favor of rupture and for\ntwo hours Rios, Morales and Fernandez reviewed the parade from\nthe balcony of the Moneda.\nThey saw banners with your pictures, Churchills and other\nUnited Nation leaders including Stalin's and heard shouts for\nyou. Churchill and victory. It was orderly and it has made\na deep impression.\nWe must be very careful now to do nothing, and say nothing,\nthat would change the current which now is strong and growing\nstronger every hour.\nThe election seems to me a great victory for your Adminis-\ntration. In an off year, with you necessarily silent, with\ntaxes burdensome, with the isolationist element resentful,\nand with our Party in power for ten years, it is marvelous\nthat we emerge in control of every branch of the national govern-\nment. The gubernatorial result in New York does not amaze me.\nSomehow, Bennett, who probably 1s an able and good man, has\nnever thrilled me, and he lacks the color and the dramatic\nappeal that his democratic predecessors have had. His\nelection rather smears Wilkies chances. The Lord's will be done!\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely yours,\nclaude ybour\nChile folder\n1-42\nSantiago, November 10, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nYesterday I had an hour with President Rios, apropos\nour landing in North Africa. I was impressed with his\nearnestness and sincerity. He greeted me effusively on\nentering the room, with warmest congratulations on our\nlanding and on your speech to the French people, and his\nexpression, usually reticent and shy, bore out the sincerity\nof his words. He said that because of Chile's love for\nFrance our action will have a splendid effect here; and\nbecause South Americans are largely Latin it will have a\nfine effect over the continent.\nI then told him our\nattitude toward Italy and our action in declaring Italians\nin the States not alien enemies and he said this too would\nbe effective.\nHe told me that he asked all the papers here to begin\na campaign for rupture and that within a few days \"even the\nILUSTRADO\" will be supporting his policy in this sense.\nWith a laugh he added \"I even have the pledge of Arturo\nAlessandri that he will keep silent henceforth\". He then\nsaid that the trouble with Arturo is his apparent inability\nto understand that in a grave international situation local\npolitics should stay out.\nHe also said, apropos of the recent action of the\nSupreme Court in holding the German banker spy that he\nhad asked the Court to take such action if possible as a\nmatter of high public policy. Laughingly he then added\nthat when the German Ambassador saw him in the interest of\nthis banker spy he had told the Ambassador that this is a\ndemocracy with three independent branches of government,\nbut that the Court was composed of able men who would handle\nthe banker's case according to law.\nI am\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D. C.\nI am sending a confidential report of the Minister\nof the Interior to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which\nthe latter sent to my house last night, to the Department\ntoday in despatch No. 4904. This report is an honest\nstatement of facts, as I know from my own knowledge and\nafter conferring with our Intelligence Officer, Wall.\nIf you are interested in this phase you will find an\nexplanation of the delay in taking action against the\nAx1s espionage and something on the difficulties here due\nto lack of adequate funds. I have submitted a suggestion\napropos of that.\nWith warmest personal regards,\nMost sincerely yours,\nClaude HRowers\nSuice writing This, The\nZorenge uninster eas year seed\nwe a copy of Reoo telequau\nto you. This to excellent\nand the Perminan\nwho has rest east we there\nHe same\nPSF File Chile\nSantiago,November 16,1942\nDear Mr President:-\nI am inclosing two telegrams sent by me yesterday\n(Sunday) and today which I consider of such importance at this juncture\nthat I feel you should see them and consider them, and 1 am afraid that\nin the crush of work Mr Welles may overlook calling them to your\nattention. There is no doubt that Chile has definitively determined to\nbreak with the Axis ,and the Presidents statement to me that he had\ncalled in the papers and askedcthem to begin the campaign for rupture\nhas been since borne out by their action. When he told me that the\nIlustrada, extremely Right, and the organ of the Church had promised him t\nto support him if he ruptures 1 was more than skeptical. This morning\nproofo of his sincerety again in the editorial in that paper.\nWe have had so many reasons for resenting Chile's lack\nof action that I am afraid some of our people have become prejudiced\nand are prone to be indifferent to Chile's present advances under\nenormously changed conditions. Nothing could be worse here. I have\nno doubt that at this juncture we must give the President here every\nsympathetic consideration and such assistance as we can in making his\nright about face easier ,more dignified and graceful.\nFor the first time during the last month I have been able to\ntalk with the utmost frankness in an atmosphere of unweserve ,and\nconfidentially ,and we are going places. Your telegram to Rios in\nreply to Rios startlingly cordial and sympathetic cable to you on\nNorth Africa, has pleased the President enormously ,delighted the\nForeign Minister and given great satisfaction to the Chilean people.\nThat is the tone we must assume and the line we must follow. The\nrupture seems positively assured ,and 1 do not think we should quibble\nover the method or means Rios may think best. For the first time\nGovernment here has talked confidentially to me on Chile's relations\nwith Argentine, revealing what 1 had long thought.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely,\nHon.Franklin D.Roosevelt\nclauds y Bowes\nThe White House.\nDECLASSIFIED\nState Dupt. Letter, 1-11-72\nAIR MAIL\nJ.\nDate\nFEB\n4 1972\nSTRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL Telegram of November 15, 2 pm, 1983\nFOR SECRETARY UNDERSECRETARY & DUGGAN\nReferring to your telegram of November 14, 2 pm, #1371\n1) This morning Fernandez telephoned asking if I would receive\nhim at 12:30 today. He came to inform me that yesterday instru-\ntions had been sent to the Chilean legation in Vicy to retire\nthem to Madrid and remain there pending clarification of the\nsituation since with the Germans in absolute control in France\nthere is no point in having a legation there; and also to the\nend that Chile may be in better position to follow us on what-\never steps may be taken as to possible recognition of another\nGovernment. He told me the French Minister has informed him\nhe had received not one word from his Government in eight days\nand 1s very much distressed as to his situation.\n2) He also came to express profound appreciation for the\n\"very moving character\" of Roosevelt's telegram to Ros.\n3) I then told him I had transmitted the request brought me\nby Cohen and explained failure to incorporate sentence asked.\n4) I then told him President Roosevelt's schedule which makes\nimpossible Rios' visit before January 5th and he appeared to\nunderstand, but half in earnest suggested it might be possible\nto arrange exchange of dates with Cuban President. He said he\nthought Rios should go as soon as possible.\n5) When he said he and Rios felt it best to break relations\nimmediately on return instead of before going, I told him I\nhave no instructions, no authorization but asked if he would\nlike for me to give him my own feeling personally. He said he\nwould. I then set forth the reasons why a break before would\nbe advantageous, covering the line in your telegram. He thanked\nme for speaking frankly and said he would speak frankly in\nreturn. This brought out a plan of Government here not hitherto\nknown. I give you a rough but absolutely accurate quotation:\n\"We are a neighbor of Argentina, our territory touching,\nwith always a possibility of some territorial or other complica-\ntion and for that reason alone we wish to be fair with Argentina.\nRios' plan is this: he makes the trip and his last stop 1s\nin Buenos Aires. There he will say to Cestillo that Chile has\ndetermined absolutely on an immediate rupture with the Axis, and\nsince Chile does not wish to leave Argentina out on a limb or\nisolated, he will urge that Argentina join and break simultaneously.\nHe will make it clear that Chile will break at once even if\nArgentina will not, but that he wished to spare Argentina the\nembarrassment of being left alone.\" Fennandez said there is a\nvery strong feeling for rupture among Argentinians and that\nthere 18 a good prospect that when Rios makes his immediate\nintentions known and invites Argentina to join, she may do BO.\nIf she does not, it will not deter Chile at all.\nHere is something you may want to consider. It 18 the first\nclear exposition of Chile's attitude toward Argentina I have heard.\nI told him frankly that our friends had been worried because\nRios' last visit would be to Buenos Aires and that the Argentines\nmight persuade him not to break. He said that this was quite\ntrue at one time but no longer.\nHe said he would give Rios my views and he hoped I would\nIts submit emious this very confidential plan of Rios to Washington for\nconsideration as a practical way of bringing not\n2,\nM ЯӀА\n- 2 - (1983)\nAIR MAIL\nonly Chile but Argentina into the orbit. But he reiterated\nthat having given Argentina her chance, Chile will act\nregardless of Argentina's reaction. I am sure he talked with\ncomplete frankness.\n6) El Mercurio today editorially mentions rupture.\nThe editorial written by Foreign Office official.\nPlease call the President's attention to this telegram.\nRepeated to Buenos Aires.\nBowers\nSTRICTLY CONFIDENT\nAIR MAIL\nCopy of Telegram No. 1987 of November 16, 3 pm\nFOR THE SECRETARY UNDERSECRETARY AND DUGGAN\nReferring to my telegram No. 1983 of November 15, 2 pm\nNow that even the DIARIO ILUSTRADO has come out editorially\nwith pledge to support Rios in whatever policy he may adopt, I\nthink it very necessary that Washington consider the rapidly\nchanging prospects here. It must be kept in mind in whatever\n1s done or said that there is no doubt that the determination\nhas been reached by the President and his Government to break\nwith the Axis; that Government is acting positively to prepare\nthe way for the break soon; that the action of ILUSTRADO this\nmorning bears out Rios' statement to me reported at the time\nthat he has the pledge of this paper to support him in the event\nof a break; that Morales Saturday made a speech given to the\npress which leaves no doubt of Government's position in which\nhe said, apropos of the action being taken against Ax1s espionage,\nthat he 18 acting on the President's instructions to act ener-\ngetically against all agencies operating against the democracies.\nWhile we ant and shall do what we can to break the\nbreak before Rios' visit, we should give due consideration\nto Fernandez' explanation of the plan 8.8 it relates to Argentina\nand bear in mind that there is a special Argentine-Chilean\nproblem involving the relations of the two nations.\nWe have the assurance from every governmental quarter up\nto the President that the break will come immediately on\nRios return; and the fact that the President feels that the\nvisit should be at an early date indicates the feeling that\nthe break must come as soon as possible.\nNow that the press campaign is launched to prepare the\nground for the break I am afraid that it 1s unfortunate to\nhave this continued for as much 8.8 two months since it will\nlose its punch in that time, and I suspect this may be in the\nmind of Rios.\nOur resentments of Chile's attitude in the past have been\nrichly earned, but now that the dirft in our direction is\npronounced, and pledges are made, I feel that an attitude of\nindifference now would be very bad and that it should now\nbe our policy to do what we can to smooth the way for the\nGovernment there to act through such confidential cooperation\nas we can give.\nIf President Roosevelt could possibly spare three days\nfor Rios immediately after the Cuban leaves it would greatly\nhasten the rupture; and if the visit made before the rupture\nCoordination Committee and propaganda agencies in States\ncould prepare a good atmosphere by having press assume that\nthis is the preliminary to the break.\nWe shall do what we can within the proprieties to convince\nthe Government that rupture should come before the visit.\nHowever for the first time, we have reached a very friendly\ncooperative confidential state of negotiations, and the\npurpose of this telegram is to urge that Washington take\ncognizance of this changed situation and be as helpful as\n1é reasonable and proper in making it 8.8 easy as possible\nfor Government to right about face with some semblance of\ndignity.\nDECLASSIFIED\nBOWERS\nState Dept. Letter, 1-11-72\nFEB 4 1972\nBy J. Schauble Date\nChile folder\n1-42\nSantiago, November 23,1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI am much gratified by the report in the press here\nthat you have intervened to prevent the assassination -\nfor that is what it would amount to - of Largo Cabellero,\nQuiroga, and Giron, arrested by the Germans in France and\nsent to Franco. I note that special emphasis 1s laid on\nLargo Cabellero which is all right. But since Largo\nCabellero is a Socialist and it appears from the press that\nmy old friends Fernando de los Rios and Del Vayo have inter-\nceded with you, it occurs to me that they may not have said\nenough about Quiroga and Giron who are of the party of Azaña,\nmere republicans and outstanding democrats. Girons arrest\nis outrageous since he was not a politician, merely a\nstrong republican and an idealist, a physician of standing,\nwho was made Prime Minister to succeed Quiroga when the\nlatter at the very beginning of the war was displaced. He\nwas a personal friend and appointment of Azaña.\nQuiroga is a man of ability, an ardent democrat and\nrepublican, and he was very close to Azana. He was Prime\nMinister when the war began. Because he was Prime Minister\nwhen Calvo Sotella, the head of the Axis crowd in Spain,\nwas assassinated by three officers of the Assault Guards,\nit was charged, as part of the Nazi conspiracy, that he had\narranged the assassination, and because of this he is in\ndanger. Of course he had no more to do with arranging an\nassassination thanAzana. Calvo Sotello, who was killed\nnone to soon in the interest of the Republic, was killed\nbecause Just before, three days I think before, an officer\nof the Assault Guards was assassinated by the Fascists and\nthe Assault Guards took matters into their own hands without\nconsulting the Government at all.\nI am gratified by your intercession because military\nreasons have necessitated the giving out of statements by\nus implying perfect confidence in Franco, and this has caused\na painful impression among all the friends of Spanish\ndemocracy\nThe Honorable\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D.C.\n- 2 -\ndemocracy who do not see the military angle.\nApropos of Ranco's and Jordana's Meutrality\", I\nmight suggest that perhaps, since the proof of the pudding\nis the eating\" that perhaps Jordana might instruct his\nMissions here and throughout South America that neutrality\ndoes not mean an intensification of their cooperation\nwith the Axis in the nastiest kind of propaganda against\nus; and that it is difficult to associate \"neutrality\"\nwith the presence of Spanish troops with the Germans\noperating against Russia, our Ally.\nIncidentally, Jordana, whom I know, was the man\nwho entered into the agreement with Mussolini in 1926\nto turn the Balearic Islands over to the use of Italy\nas a base in the case Italy should be involved in a war.\nHe was a Fascist then as he is a Fascist now. One can be\na monarchist, as in Italy, and still stand for a\nFascist regime, as in Italy.\nI am merely giving you this as background.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely yours,\nclauds spowces\nAnd\nChile folder\nSantiago, December 7, 1942.\nDear Mr. President:\nSince Morales, Minister of the Interior, and Oscar Schnake\narrive in Washington Wednesday or Thursday on a confidential\nmission from Ríos to you, it may be of assistance for you to have\nmy analysis of these men and of their mission before you see them.\nPrimarily both have been militantly anti-Nazi and both lead and\npersisted in the fight for a rupture with the Axis. Both are\npro-American and pro-Roosevelt, particularly Schnake. The latter,\nwhom you know, is in my opinion by odds the nearest to a statesman\nof vision and judgment of any man in public life here, but I under-\nstand you have a high regard for him. Morales is young, a bit\nexalted, impulsive, very ambitious, but inexperienced; and his\njudgment of men and things is very often not sound. He appears to\nhave the impression that Nelson Rockefeller is the dictator of our\nforeign policy, etc.\nI talked with Morales before he left but found him rather too\ncagey on his mission to suit me and I had an hour's confidential\ntalk with Schnake at my house Saturday. There appears to be no\ndoubt that the purpose of the mission is to say to you that Chile\nis going to break with the Axis very soon; to give you Ríos's idea\nof what may be needed in the way of cooperation as defence against\npossible attacks or sabotage. Schnake said that he is not impressed\nby economic needs, but that certain material for defence does seem\nreasonable to him. I told him that when Chile breaks it is my\nimpression that she may get some defence material, but expressed\ndoubt about getting anything until Chile's position is entirely\nclarified. I suggested that you be told first that Chile will\nbreak on a specified day, that this be made a secret, official\ngovernmental declaration. I told him that with this determined\nabsolutely, I felt sure there would be a disposition to talk over\nwith Morales and Schnake the defence necessities sympathetically.\nThe President,\nThe White House.\n-2-\nI intended to say to Schnake that I thought it a grave mistake\nnot to inform Michels of the visit, but before I got to it Schnake\nanticipated me by saying that he is distressed over that phase and\nthinks it a grave mistake. I suggested that since Michels has been\nfor rupture and stands well with Washington, this concealment of the\nintended visit from him would be open to misinterpretation. He saw\nthat at once, had seen it before. He said he would see the Foreign\nMinister that day and tell him what he thought, and that unless the\nForeign Office informs Michels, he said, \"I personally shall inform\nhim.\" I think that this concealment from Michels merely reflects\nlocal political maneuvering, and I am convinced that Morales wants\nto be Ambassador in Washington.\nAs you have possibly observed, if you read the telegrams to the\nDepartment I sent you, I feel very strongly that the situation here\nnow is such that we must change our attitude from one of justified\nresentment over past policies to one of sympathetic cooperation with\nRíos. I base this on the common understanding in all circles here\nthat rupture is coming very speedily. There are reasons.\nFirst: Ríos three weeks ago called in the publishers of all the\npapers, told them he is preparing to break and asked them to launch\na campaign for rupture. If he does not intend to break this would be\nincredibly stupid.\nSecond: The papers are acting in accordance with the request,\nand EL MERCURIO, the NEW YORK TIMES of Chile, very conservative, is\nstrong in its editorial declarations that Chile must break.\nThird: The Foreign Minister in a powerful exposition of foreign\npolicy before the Senate told it bluntly that Chile must break and\nvery soon, and will.\nUnder these circumstances I feel strongly that it would be a\ngrave mistake to permit resentment of past policy to lead us into an\nattitude of indifference, and that on the contrary we should now con-\ncentrate on doing whatever is possible to make it easier for Ríos.\nWe understand here that if Chile breaks the Argentine Government\nwill stand pat against rupture; that she is encouraged in this atti-\ntude by the British; and in line with this is the fact that the Brit-\nish here, including the Embassy, have stood aside and given us no help\nwhatever in the matter of rupture. In addition we find that the Brit-\nish colony is making the most of our alleged alliance with Darlan,\nthe French Fascist, and expressing its sympathy effusively with the\nFree French, who will have no truck with the Darlans and Pétains, and\ncriticising us to them. These are things to be kept under cover, of\ncourse, and not given to the public, but I think it necessary for you\nto have the facts.\n-3-\nI was talking this morning with the Brazilian Ambassador,\nwho thinks that when Chile breaks, if Argentina does not, we\nmust get rough with her, and he expressed surprise over the\nsix millions furnished Franco Spain for the purchase of goods\nfrom the Argentine.\nI cannot be expected to share in anyone's enthusiasm over\ngood General Franco in view of the vicious cooperation the Span-\nish Embassy here is constantly giving the Axis through propa-\nganda of the most unscrupulous sort. I note one new result\nin an intercepted letter from a Falangist here to one in the\nCanal Zone:\n\"The North American politics is in its worst period of\npresumption and imperialism. The American Ambassador\nBowers is & declared Communist, who aided the Spanish\nRepublic, and he now lunches daily with Contreras Labarca.\"\nLabarca is the Communist leader whom I saw once at a public\ngathering.\nWith warmest regards,\nSincerely, claude ynower\nun dear Early\n- Hope Phes reaches\nThe Presedent prompter\nsuice n relates to The\nprospective call upon\nRive by morales and\nschuefe who reach\nWashington Wednesday\nor Thursday.\nsincerely\nclaude yBowes\nP5F: chile\nDecember 18, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI am enclosing herewith the letter addressed\nto you by the President of Chile which was brought\nto Washington by the Chilean Minister of the Interior,\nSeñor Morales, whom you received yesterday. I am\nalso enclosing a translation thereof.\nIn the event that you wish Señor Morales to take\nback to Chile when he leaves next week a reply to this\nletter, I am enclosing a suggested reply. If this\ndraft meets with your approval, please sign it and\nsend it back to me and I will hand it personally to\nSeñor Morales before he leaves Washington.\nBelieve me\nFaithfully yours,\nSUMNER WELLES\nEnclosure:\nLetter from President\nof Chile.\nSuggested reply.\nThe President,\nThe White House\nEMBASSY OF THE\nUNITED STATES OF AMERICA\nStephen Early, Esquire,\nExecutive Office,\nThe White House,\nWashington, D. C.\nURGENT\n(373)\nSigned original of this letter scals\nChile folder\n1.42\nHon. Summer hm Welles, 12/23/42\nDecember 23, 1942\nsty dear Mr. President:\nIt was a pleasure to receive Your Excellency's letter\nof December 2 from the hands of your Minister, Señor Raúl\nMorales.\nIt has been all the more gratifying to ne to talk\nwith Señor Morales since I have learned from you of your\npersonal friendship for him and the unlimited confidence\nwith which you honor him.\nI share with you a firm belief in the value of discus-\nsions of this nature between representatives of peoples\nwho share a great tradition of friendship, and, at the\npresent critical hour in the world's history, face together\nwith the other free peoples of the world the imperative\nnecessity for common sacrifices and cooperative effort if\nthey are to preserve their right to forge their own des-\ntinies as independent, sovereign nations.\nIt is my confident hope that the conversations which\nI and other officials of my Government have enjoyed with\nHis Excellency\nJuan Antonio Rios Morales,\nPresident of the Republic of Chile,\nSantiago.\n-2-\nSeñor Morales have brought very close the day when the\ncommunity of American Republics, of which the United States\nis proud to be a member, may count upon the fullest support\nand practical collaboration of your great country in the\nvitally important task of insuring our common survival.\nI an glad to have this opportunity of expressing to\nyou, as I did to Señor Morales, my hope that when the dif-\nficulties of the immediate future in Chile are passed, you\nmay feel that circumstances are such that you may come to\nthe United States in pursuance of the invitation which I\nhad the pleasure of extending to you last August.\nPlease accept the assurances of my highest esteem\nand my best wishes for your personal well-being.\nBelieve ne\nVery sincerely yours,\nFRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT\nHis Excellency\nJuan Antonio Ríos Morales,\nPresident of Chile,\nSantiago.\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nDE\nCAR\nNOO DEPARLICA\n.\nCHILE\nExemo Señor\nFRANKLIN D. RCOSEVELT\nPresidente de los Estados Unidos\nde Norte América.\nWASHINGTON\nDEPARTMENT DE PUBLIC\nPRE\nCHILE\nSantiago, Diciembre 2 de 1942.-\nExemo.Señor\nFranklin D. Roosevelt\nPresidente de los Estados Unidos\nde Norte América\nWASHINGTON.\nGRANDE Y BUEN AMIGO:\nCircunstancias que son conocidas de Vues-\ntra Excelencia y que nadie lamenta más que yó, me han impedido\nhasta ahora corresponder a la gentil invitación de Vuestra Ex-\ncelencia e ir a Washington para tratar personalmente y en un\nambiente de sinceridad y confianza las cuestiones que intere-\nsan vitalmente a nuestros dos paises y a la América, para lle-\nvar al Gobierno de Vuestra Excelencia y a su gran pueblo el\ntestimonio de la sincera amistad y del propósito de france co-\nlaboración que animan a Chile en estos momentos decisivos para\nlos destinos de América y del mundo.\nNo deseando postergar por mas tiempo la\nexpresión de esos anhelos, he pedido a mi Primer Ministro, Señor\nRaúl Morales, para que como Enviado especial y personal mío se\ndirija a Washington y lleve a Vuestra Excelencia y a su ilus-\ntrado Gobierno el pensamiento exacto y los verdaderos sentimien-\ntos que animan e informan la acción del Presidente de Chile.\nLa amistad personal e ilimitada confianza\nque dispenso al Señor Raúl Morales, la posición que oeupa en mi\nDE\nGREAT REPUBLI PUBL 20153 BD\nCHILE\nGobierno y las dotes de talento que lo distinguen, me dán la\nseguridad que habrá de encontrar favorable acogida en Vuestra\nExcelencia y que sabrá interpretar fielmente los propósitos\nque me animan de hacer cada día mas estrechas las muy cordiales\nrelaciones que felizmente unen 8. nuestros dos pueblos.\nRuego a Vuestra Excelencia quiera aceptar\nlas seguridades de mi particular aprecio y los votos que for-\nmulo por su ventura personal y el éxito de su Gobierno.\nFlushrise\nPSF:Chile\n[TRANSLATION]\nPRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC\nCHILE\nSantiago, December 2, 1942.\nHis Excellency\nFranklin D. Roosevelt,\nPresident of the United\nStates of America,\nWashington.\nGREAT AND GOOD FRIEND:\nCircumstances which are known to Your Excellency\nand which no one regrets more than I have prevented me\nhitherto from responding to Your Excellency's kind\ninvitation to go to Washington to discuss personally\nand in an atmosphere of sincerity and confidence the\nquestions which vitally concern our two countries and\nAmerica, and to take to Your Excellency's Gov ernment\nand your great people the assurances of the sincere\nfriendship and the purpose of frank collaboration which\nanimate Chile in these moments decisive for the destinies\nof America and of the world.\nNot desiring to postpone longer the expression of\nthese desires, I have asked my First Minister, Mr. Raúl\nMorales, to go to Washington as my special and personal\nenvoy\n- 2 -\nenvoy and take to Your Excellency and your enlightened\nGovernment the exact thought and the true sentiments\nwhich inspire and shape the action of the President of\nChile.\nThe personal friendship and unlimited confidence\nwhich I have for Mr. Raúl Morales, the position which\nhe occupies in my Government and the talented gifts\nwhich distinguish him afford me the assurance that he\nwill meet with a favorable reception from Your Excellency\nand that he will be able faithfully to interpret the\npurposes which move me daily to draw closer the very\ncordial relations which happily unite our two peoples.\nI beg Your Excellency to be good enough to accept\nthe assurances of my particular esteem and my good\nwishes for your personal happiness and the success of\nyour Government.\n(S) J. Ant. Ríos\nTR:FGH:JMC\nDepartment of State\nBUREAU\nDIVISION\n}\nENCLOSURE\nTO\nLetter drafted\nADDRESSED TO\nTHE PRESIDENT\n\" PRINTING enner -\n1-1633\nRJ\nTHE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE\nReturn she\nWASHINGTON\nDecember 18, 1942\nMy dear Mr. President:\nI am enclosing herewith the letter addressed\nto you by the President of Chile which was brought\nto Washington by the Chilean Minister of the Interior,\nSeñor Morales, whom you received yesterday. I am\nalso enclosing a translation thereof.\nIn the event that you wish Señor Morales to take\nback to Chile when he leaves next week a reply to this\nletter, I am enclosing a suggested reply. If this\ndraft meets with your approval, please sign it and\nsend it back to me and I will hand it personally to\nSeñor Morales before he leaves Washington.\nBelieve me\nA yours,\nEnclosure:\nKalls\nLetter from President\nof Chile.\nSuggested reply.\nThe President,\nThe White House\nPSF:Chile\nCROSS-\nREFERENCE\n(Name, number, or\nsubject under\nwhich this form\nis filed)\nDATE\ntax\nApril 7, 1942\nTO\nClaude G. Bowers\nIDENTIFI-\nFROM\nCATION\nFranklin D. Roosevelt\nOF\nRECORD\nBRIEF\nReply to Bowers letter of March 28\nSUMMARY\nOF\nCONTENTS\nFILED\n(Name, number, or subject\nO.F. 429\nunder which the document\nitself is filed)\nOptional Form 21\nFeb. 1962\nGSA Circular 259\nCROSS-REFERENCE\nCROSS-\nPSF: Chile\nREFERENCE\n(Name, number, or\nsubject under\nwhich this form\nis filed)\nDATE\nApril 16, 1942\nTO\nFranklin D. Roosevelt\nIDENTIFI-\nFROM\nCATION\nClaude G. Bowers\nOF\nRECORD\nBRIEF\nSUMMARY\nChilean relations with Japan\nOF\nCONTENTS\nFILED\n(Name, number, or subject\nO.F. 429\nunder which the document\nitself is filed)\nOptional Form 21\nFeb. 1962\nGSA Circular 259\nCROSS-REFERENCE"
}