816.01/251
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White) of a Conversation With the Argentine Ambassador (Espil)
Mr. Espil called and returned the copy of the Central American Treaty of 1923 which I loaned him yesterday. He said that he found it difficult to take the matter up with Saavedra Lamas and that if this Government wanted to make a request of the Argentine Government he would rather have it come through Mr. Bliss. I told Mr. Espil that we were not making any request of the Argentine Government and that we had not instructed Mr. Bliss in the premises; that I thought what the Secretary had in mind in speaking to him the other day was to point out that we are working for stability in Central America and are embarked on a policy to that end which the five Central American Governments themselves have said would help to promote stability in Central America, and that the Secretary had merely expressed his regret that Argentina at this time seemed to be embarking on a different course. I told Mr. Espil that the Brazilian Ambassador had come in this morning and had spoken to me about the matter and that I had explained to him fully our position. We had also received word from Mr. Morgan in Rio and had advised him in the same sense. Mr. Espil said that if he could put the matter up to Saavedra Lamas on the basis that he had heard in the Department that the Brazilian Ambassador had inquired of us regarding our policy toward recognizing the Salvadoran Government and that we had told him thus and so, he would then feel free to make the report. I told him that he might do so and he then said he would handle it in that way.