FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1942, VOLUME VI



  Senior Morales then raised the question of the dangers to which Chile
would be exposed when she broke relations. The President said that
Japan was not in a position to do any real damage to Chile, that the
most that Japan could do would be to send a submarine, fire a few shells
on the Chilean coast, as Japan had done against the California coast
some six months ago, and that the effect had simply been to stimulate
the morale of the people of California and the same result would occur
if Japan attempted the same action against Chile. Se-nor Morales
raised the question of the defenseless character of such strategic points
on the Chilean coast as electric power stations, upon which the supply
of copper depended. The President suggested that he discuss these
details with me at a meeting which we were due to have this afternoon.
  The conversation concluded by the Minister saying to the President
that his mission here was to inform the United States Government that
the policy of Chile had never been un-inter-American and had always
been designed to cooperate in the defense of the Western Hemisphere.
He also requested that the message he had communicated to the Presi-
dent be regarded as confidential, since only the President of Chile him-
self should announce the intention of the Chilean Government to break
relations with the Axis powers.
  The Minister likewise left with the President a long memorandum 5S
written in Spanish which I said I would have translated and give to
the President, and I also told the President that the Minister had a
personal letter addressed to the President by the President of Chile
which the Minister would give me later and which I would give to the
President.59
                                             S IUMNER] W[ELIES]


740.0011 European War, 1939/26705a: Telegram
    The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)
                          WASHINGTON, December 18, 1942-3 p. m.
   1521. From the Under Secretary. Morales has communicated to the
 President the decision of the Chilean Government immediately to break
 relations with the Axis. My own conversations with Morales have been
 concerned with the following points:
   (1) Although I have tactfully pointed out to Morales that Chile's
 inter-American commitments have for nearly a year furnished ample
 justification for a break in relations, he is insistent upon the develop-
 ment of some specific pretext which can be made the occasion of the
 break and which will ensure a maximum of support for the Govern-
 ment's action among the Chilean people. Evidence is, therefore, being
 assembled by our military, naval and other authorities which will show
   > Not printed.
   9 No evidence found in Department files that such a letter was presented.



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