710.Consultation(2)/20: Telegram
The Ambassador in Peru ( Norweb ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:15 p.m.]
82. Referring to my telegram No. 81, June 18, noon. After discussion with the President, the Minister for Foreign Affairs called on me last evening and reiterated his statements of yesterday. In addition he suggested that the process of consultation by telegraph would be speeded up if Panama or the United States would circularize a [Page 189] concrete proposal to which the various countries could give consideration with a view to formulating a unanimous declaration.
The Minister also read to me a telegram from the Peruvian Minister in Habana regarding a memorandum prepared by the Government of Cuba, urging Peruvian participation in a meeting at Habana on June 26 to discuss additional questions such as neutrality and subversive activities.
Aside from the Minister’s insistence on immediate action, questioning did not disclose any other reasons for preference for telegraphic consultation instead of the proposed conference.
While I do not wish to imply that there is a suggestion of reservation, there is, however, some hesitancy both in this instance and on the question of the exclusion of submarines,14 which may be due to either the desire to ascertain the attitude of neighboring countries first or to avoid the appearance of being in the vanguard.
Regardless of the above, we believe that Peru will follow the majority decision.
- See section entitled “Efforts of the United States to secure among certain other American Republics legislation providing for the exclusion of belligerent submarines from their ports and territorial waters,” vol. i, pp. 776 ff.↩