611.3831/645: Telegram
The Ambassador in Argentina ( Weddell ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:55 p.m.]
179. Department’s 81, June 25, 1 p.m. I this afternoon communicated the pertinent portions of the above telegram to the President of Argentina, who informed me that he had received nothing on the subject from his Foreign Office but that a letter from Espil had arrived today which touched on the subject in hand and seemed to cover the essential points. The President added that while, of course, the matter was in a sense for examination by the experts of the two Governments his experience as Minister of Finance had given him a general knowledge of the question, and that he felt very hopeful that an agreement could be concluded. He stated further that he felt that it was an absurd and anomalous position that two such countries as Argentina and the United States had not long ago concluded a commercial agreement. He also said that the atmosphere of cordiality which he felt existed at Washington was reciprocated here and facilitated negotiations.
I mentioned the date of July 7 and he remarked that he gathered from Espil’s letter that this date was interwoven with British negotiations with the United States.
I re-emphasized the Department’s staunch desire that this opportunity to begin negotiations be availed of and he said that he would endeavor to give me an answer by Tuesday the 5th if not before, and that meanwhile he would at once get in touch with his Foreign Office with a view to considering the memorandum forwarded from Washington.