611.3231/970: Telegram
The Chargé in Brazil (Gordon) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:35 p.m.]
167. My 151, June 6, 5 p.m. I am becoming increasingly concerned with regard to the ratification of our trade agreement. I had hoped that after the Foreign Minister returned from Buenos Aires and had had time to straighten out his office he would actively take in hand the task of pushing the agreement toward ratification, above all of seeing to it that many days are not needlessly lost in the Chamber merely for lack of anyone actively interesting himself in avoiding such delay. There is no doubt that special interests, principally industrial, are taking advantage of the time thus offered to redouble their pressure on deputies who belong to the normal Government majority.
I have seen the Foreign Minister several times this week and bearing in mind Department’s 98, May 28, 6 p.m. have pressed the matter upon him but although he has now been back in Bio 10 days he is still very much preoccupied with Chaco matters.5 He quite agrees as to the importance to Brazil of ratifying the agreement but outwardly at least he does not seem to see the dangers inherent in undue procrastination as clearly as the Department does; while I know that he has several times stated that he is going to push the agreement vigorously [Page 305] I have not been able to discern any proof of his following this up with concrete deeds and above all I have not seen any evidence of definite effort on his part tending to bring Government deputies into line for quick action.
Yesterday the Tariff Commission to which the agreement had been sent by the Financial Committee of the Chamber rendered a favorable report but the agreement still has to go back to that committee and before at least one other Chamber committee before committee it takes effect upon in plenary session [sic], after which it must pass the Senate (see my despatch No. 684 of May 316). When I referred to this yesterday, the Foreign Minister admitted that he thought it would be at least some weeks more before the agreement could be ratified.
To sum up the Foreign Minister expresses no apprehension as to eventual ratification but does not give all the evidence desirable of energetic determination to secure it with the least possible delay.
I thought the Department would like to know the status of the matter in case it might wish to consider suggesting to Aranha7 to communicate again with President Vargas urging prompt ratification. In fact, if within the next week or 10 days at most, some concrete progress towards ratification in the Chamber is not forthcoming the Department might wish to formulate something in the way of a personal message to the Foreign Minister which I could informally convey to him.