710.G/338

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Caffery)

The Argentine Ambassador, Señor Dr. Felipe A. Espil, came to see me this morning to tell me that he had had a telephone conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs at Buenos Aires regarding the [Page 233] possibility of postponing the Montevideo Conference,8 in which he (Espil) had intimated to Saavedra Lamas9 that, in his opinion, it is now too late to take up the matter of postponing the Conference. After some hesitation, Saavedra Lamas had agreed to let the matter drop.

The Argentine Ambassador went on to say that if we desired to win over Saavedra Lamas to our side at Montevideo we could do so by adhering to his anti-war pact, adding that we could do so with reservations if we liked: “Saavedra Lamas won’t object to reservations—what he is interested in, is having the United States adhere to his pact.”

J[efferson] C[affery]

[Note. In the Instructions to Delegates to the Seventh International Conference of American States, Montevideo, Uruguay, dated November 10, 1933, chapter I, Organization of Peace, topic 4, Anti-War Pacts—Argentine Pact (ante, p. 54), the Secretary stated:

“This Government has heretofore declined to sign the Argentine Anti-War Treaty … It is possible that if the United States should be willing to sign the Argentine Anti-War Pact, Argentina would consider favorably adherence to the Briand Kellogg Pact and the other peace conventions mentioned above.

“Furthermore, an expressed willingness on our part to sign Señor Saavedra Lamas’ Anti-War Treaty might conceivably be of considerable assistance to our delegation in working for cooperation and harmony at the Conference …

“You are, therefore, authorized in your discretion to discuss this question confidentially and discreetly with Señor Saavedra Lamas … If you believe it advisable, you are authorized to inform him that you will be prepared, at the end of the Conference, to sign the Anti-War Treaty on behalf of the United States.”

See also the following correspondence pertinent to this subject printed in section 3, entitled “Proceedings”: (1) Telegrams from the Chairman of the American Delegation to the Seventh International Conference of American States (Hull) to the Acting Secretary of State, as follows: No. 37, December 8, 5 p.m., p. 167; No. 44, December 10, 11 a.m., p. 173; No. 52, December 12, 11 p.m., p. 177; No. 56, December 14, 10 p.m., p. 188; No. 59, December 15, midnight, p. 189; No. 62, December 16, 11 p.m., p. 192; (2) memorandum by Mr. J. Butler Wright, undated, p. 178.

See also Resolution IV, Adherence to and Ratification of Peace Instruments (Approved December 16, 1933), printed in Report of [Page 234] the Delegates of the United States of America to the Seventh International Conference of American States, pp. 195–196; Procès Verbal of the Intention to Subscribe to the Pacts for the Settlement of International Conflicts by Pacific Means, of December 26, 1933, ibid., pp. 173–174; and address by Secretary of State Hull, December 15, 1933, ibid., pp. 114–118.]

  1. See pp. 1 ff.
  2. Carlos Saavedra Lamas, Argentine Minister for Foreign Affairs.