Office of the Historian

833.20 Missions/2–1345

The Ambassador in Uruguay (Dawson) to the Secretary of State

[Extracts]
No. 5459
Montevideo, February 13, 1945.
[Received February 21.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt (on February 12) of the Department’s secret airgram no. 40 of February 3, 1945, requesting a report on any recent developments which might indicate Uruguayan willingness to request an American military mission.

It is presumed that the Department had not yet received my despatch no. 5335 of January 23,30 in which I commented at some length on the outlook for military missions in Uruguay.

[Page 1376]

In the meantime, I have had the advantage of discussing the matter with Major General Ralph H. Wooten35 on the occasion of the latter’s recent visit to Montevideo (see my despatch no. 5435, February 9, 194536). On February 8 there was held at the Embassy a conference attended by General Wooten, the Military and Naval Attachés, Mr. Sparks,37 and myself. General Wooten gave us certain background information concerning staff conferences with Brazil and informed us that he and Vice Admiral Munroe38 would be glad to initiate conferences with Uruguay in March.

General Wooten informed us in particular that in Brazil39 there was certain opposition to formal military missions and that indications were that in lieu of such missions arrangements would be made under which we would furnish instructors as needed for limited periods and limited objectives.

All those present at our conference agreed that the situation in Uruguay is very similar to that in Brazil as explained by General Wooten. As has been pointed out by the Embassy we feel that the Uruguayan Government will be disinclined to request formal military or naval missions or to contract for the services of such missions. We believe the outlook much brighter for requests for furnishing small groups of officers (not to be called missions) to be sent for limited periods and limited purposes with particular reference to instruction and training in the use of Lend-Lease matériel.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Respectfully yours,

William Dawson
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Commanding General, United States Army Forces, South Atlantic.↩
  3. Not printed.↩
  4. Edward J. Sparks, First Secretary of Embassy.↩
  5. Vice Adm. William R. Munroe, Commander of the Fourth Fleet.↩
  6. For documentation on staff conversations between Brazilian and United States military authorities, see pp. 600 ff.↩