740.00111A.R.–N.C./105
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the American Member of the Inter-American Neutrality Committee (Fenwick)
My Dear Professor Fenwick: I must apologize for the delay in acknowledging the receipt of your letter of May 3 transmitting a preliminary translation of the recommendation on the Security Zone prepared by the Neutrality Committee. We are giving this matter very careful consideration. The recommendation has now been formally transmitted to us by the Pan American Union with a request for our views “relative to the desirability of having the Committee release to the press information concerning the recommendations”.
Our reply with regard to the question of publicity will be along the lines which Mr. Duggan discussed with you early in March and which he confirmed in his letter to you of March 7, 194083 to the effect that in our opinion the recommendation on the subject of the Declaration of Panama should be kept confidential while the American republics consult together in regard thereto and reach an agreement as to the measures which they may wish to take in order to attain the objectives of the Declaration.
I am truly appreciative of your courtesy in describing to me the considerations which led to the adoption of the Committee’s recommendation. We are all indebted to you for your thorough and painstaking approach to the problem.
With cordial personal regards,
Sincerely yours,
- Not printed.↩