835.248/85: Telegram
The Ambassador in Argentina (Weddell) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 30—9:40 p.m.]
78. For the Secretary and the Under Secretary.30 An urgent letter just received from the Argentine Ministry [Minister] of War informs me that he has taken steps through the Ministry for Foreign Relations looking to securing from our War Department two instructors in each of the following branches: Blind and night flying; bombing and aerial [Page 314] marksmanship; air tactics; such personnel to impart instruction in schools and in special aviation courses.
The letter adds that having in mind the great importance and urgency from the standpoint of Argentine aviation of securing the instructors named, the cooperation of the Embassy is requested. May I express the earnest hope that it may be found possible to meet the wishes of the Argentine War Department in this respect. There have been recently delivered here a number of American military planes and it is doubtless in connection with the use of this equipment that this request is primarily made. However, its importance from my viewpoint is that it offers us opportunity to supply technical assistance to the Argentine Army which thus far has been given along general military lines by German officers. Specifically it would perhaps render unnecessary the instruction in blind flying proposed to be given by a German civilian pilot recently engaged for the Army and Navy and be a possible entering wedge toward our displacement of the aforementioned German tacticians here.
- Sumner Welles.↩