Office of the Historian

611.3531/1534: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina (Armour)

Washington, June 22, 1940—6 p.m.

122. Your 229, June 17, 11 a.m. and 231, June 17, 5 p.m. The Department has given the most careful consideration to the situation described in your telegrams, and the United States Government will at once send an important official competent to discuss Argentina’s financial and economic problems with President Ortiz and his cabinet. You will be informed as soon as a selection has been made and traveling arrangements completed.

You are referred to the statement of the President (Radio Bulletin No. 148).8 The Department views the Argentine request as an integral part of the whole picture and proposes to send an emissary who will be in a position to discuss the entire program announced by the President, as well as the direct bearing on Argentina. As a preliminary [Page 468] step in economic cooperation with Argentina the Export–Import Bank has already extended the financial assistance mentioned in the Department’s no. 121 of June 22, 5 p.m.

Hull
  1. This refers to President Roosevelt’s announcement of the plan whereby the American Republics would form a corporation to supervise the joint disposal of their surplus products. See section entitled “Program proposed by the United States for inter-American economic cooperation,” pp. 353 ff.↩