Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1936, The American Republics, Volume V

710.Peace/67

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Welles) to the Under Secretary of State (Phillips)

[Washington,] March 19, 1936.

Any proposal to bring the Canadian Government into the Pan American Union or to have the Canadian Government participate in the proposed inter-American Conference would meet with very strenuous objection on the part of some of the American republics, notably the Government of Brazil.

Furthermore, I have discussed this matter with the President and, as I have written Norman Armour¹⁵ in a personal letter, the President feels there is no reason why the Canadian Government should be invited to participate. As a component part of the British Empire there is no logical reason why Canada should enter into any political or quasi-political conventions which may be agreed upon by the independent American republics. As the President expressed his feelings to me, there is no more logical reason why Canada should be represented than Jamaica or, for that matter, than British, French, or Dutch Guiana.

S[umner] W[elles]

15. Minister in Canada.