733.85/23: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina (Bliss)
46. For the Ambassador. Argentine Ambassador called at Department this morning and explained the present feeling of the Argentine Government regarding the good offices of the United States in settling the controversy with Uruguay. There is an apparent misunderstanding regarding the desire of Argentina for the good offices of a third country as set forth in your No. 58 of July 14, 6 p.m., or else a change in feeling as set forth in your No. 62 of July 18, 7 p.m. As the Department has very carefully stated it is most happy to be of assistance in settling this misunderstanding but any offer to do so is of course predicated upon this action being welcome to both the parties, and in view of the fact that at the present at least it is not welcome to the Argentine Government, the Department desires you to take no further action in the matter for the present, advising the Argentine Government that your action up to now in the matter was based on the belief that such assistance as you could give was welcomed and desired by them, and that as this appears not to be the case at present that you can take no further action in the matter unless requested by them to do so. You may add that a copy of this telegram is being sent to the Legation in Montevideo in order that Uruguay will know that the assistance of the United States not being desired by one of the parties the United States has desisted for the time being from taking any further steps in the matter.
Should the Argentine Government later indicate its desire for some assistance on our part, please so inform the Legation in Montevideo in order that it may inquire whether such action would at that time be agreeable to the Uruguayan Government also. This Government is always desirous of course of being of help to any of the nations of this hemisphere but will only act at any given time if such action is agreeable to all the parties at interest.
Repeat to Montevideo as Dept.’s 18.