710.1012 Anti-War/73
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Argentine Ambassador called after having been absent many weeks on account of an attack of pneumonia. He inquired first whether the United States Government was still inclined to sign the Argentine Peace Pact, to which I replied in the affirmative but added that I had informed Dr. Saavedra Lamas at Montevideo that there would be some reservations to the signature of my government. I then stated that since my return from Montevideo I had constantly urged my associates here and the officials at Montevideo to take all possible steps to facilitate the signature of any treaty or convention and their presentation to the ratifying agencies at the capital of each government, including the Senate of the United States. The Ambassador inquired whether my government would be willing to cooperate with his in urging other governments to sign where they had not signed any of these treaties, and also to ratify or adhere where they had not done so. In reply I repeated what I had said to him early in our conversation as to the activities and attitude of the United States Government. I assured him that just as quickly as these various treaties or conventions were properly printed in English and compared with the Spanish and copies of the same suitable for my signature should reach Washington, they would all be signed by myself and other members of the Delegation and promptly transmitted to the Senate for ratification. I finally stated relative to this treaty [Page 3] situation that no one could be more desirous, and even anxious, than myself to facilitate the signing and the ratification of each of the five treaties or conventions by each of the 21 governments of this Hemisphere, and that I much regretted the misapprehension of Dr. Lamas to the effect that any of us here at Washington were becoming the least bit indifferent towards the foregoing undertaking.
Some general reference was made to the bill pending in the Senate to confer authority on the Executive branch to raise or lower tariffs and similar trade barriers. I repeated to the Ambassador that I and my associates from the beginning had been doing everything within our power to aid in securing the passage of this measure. The Ambassador understood that we could not discuss reciprocity bilateral trade agreements until the passage of this act.