835.73/85: Telegram
The Ambassador in Argentina (Stimson) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 9.18 p.m.]
Strictly confidential. My October 28, 1 p.m.2 The Embassy has just learned from an authoritative source that the British Legation here by instruction of the British Government addressed on November 27 last a memorandum to the Foreign Office attacking the presidential decree of August 1 last granting the concession for the Central and South American Telegraph Company to lay one or more cables between Argentine and Montevideo and requesting the immediate annulment of said decree.
It is doubtful whether the Argentine Government will take any action whatever in the matter. The concession in question, as the Department has been informed, was signed by the President only after he had gone over the matter personally and after he had received the opinions of both Attorneys General of the Republic that such a concession would not infringe upon the rights granted in the concession to the Western Telegraph Company referred to in the British Legations memorandum.
It would seem, however, that it might be well, if the Department felt it possible, to, bring the attention of the British Government to the manner in which the British authorities are attempting to interfere with the legitimate expansion of this important American company which has been granted this concession only after the favorable opinion[s] of both of the highest legal authorities of the Government have been obtained.
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