725.3211/44
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: I enclose flimsy of a telegram just received from Montevideo9 and I suggest the substance of an answer as follows:
It seems to me that we cannot undertake to decide even by suggestion who are to be included in the agreement proposed between the A. B. C. countries, although I see no objection to our confidentially calling Naón’s attention to the fact that this inquiry was made.
We could answer Uruguay first, that we have no objection whatever to the agreement including as many countries as desire to enter into it and that, if invited to join, Uruguay need not hesitate out of any fear that the proposed agreement is in any way hostile or unfriendly to the United States.
Our understanding of the proposition is that these countries are to adopt among themselves the same form of treaty that we have [Page 481] adopted as between this nation and some thirty others. This will leave the A. B. C. powers to decide whether they desire to include any others and will leave Uruguay free to accept if invited.
I might unofficially call the Uruguay Minister’s attention to the fact that if there is any objection at all to the inclusion of Uruguay it will probably be on the ground of setting a precedent—that is, if Uruguay is included because that country joins Argentina and Brazil, the same argument would include Bolivia, which joins Chile as well as Argentina and Brazil; and Paraguay, which joins the same countries that Uruguay does.
In all of this there is gratifying evidence of the success of the plan which you have in mind—of bringing all of the countries together in some satisfactory agreement.
With assurances [etc.]
- Supra.↩