623.4131/32
The Ambassador in Peru ( Dearing ) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 6.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that on receipt of the Department’s telegram No. 28 of June 23rd, 1936, concerning the impending commercial agreement between Peru and Great Britain, I at once conferred with Mr. Dreyfus35 and with Mr. Greenup, the Commercial Attaché. We concluded that in order to be effective action should be taken at once. Since it was a holiday, it was impossible to see the Foreign Minister the same day, so this morning, June 25th, after further conference with Mr. Dreyfus and being myself ill in bed, he went to the Foreign Office and inquired of Señor Bellido, Chief of the Diplomatic Section, as to the truth of the reports of discrimination reaching us indicating that only in case they were correct did we wish to say anything further. Mr. Dreyfus and I felt this direct approach was the best as there was nothing to be gained by indirection except delay and possibly evasion. Mr. Dreyfus then conveyed to Mr. Bellido the substance of the Department’s message. Without committing himself, Señor Bellido took note of what Mr. Dreyfus had to say and said he would immediately lay it before the Minister.
The Embassy feels that the Department’s purposes have thus been accomplished. If the reports are untrue, the Foreign Office can tell us so. If they are true, it has been informed in time and can shape its course accordingly and we shall doubtless soon know the result.
The British Minister who was waiting for a conference regarding the trade treaty was received by the Foreign Minister just after Señor Bellido had reported to him what Mr. Dreyfus had to communicate.
[Page 914]The Foreign Minister, therefore, has the opportunity to straighten things out before we are presented with a fait accompli, and Mr. Dreyfus’ representations would seem to have been most timely.
Further developments will be reported as they occur.
Respectfully yours,
- Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr., Counselor of Embassy.↩