811.34544/97
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Argentina (Tuck)
Sir: There is enclosed for your information and for the files of the Embassy, a copy of a memorandum of September 11, 194046 of a conversation with the Argentine Ambassador regarding rumors that the United States might acquire a naval base in the Falkland Islands from Great Britain.
There is quoted below, with reference to this same matter, a transcription of the pertinent portion of the Secretary’s remarks at his press conference on September 13:
Q. “Mr. Secretary, can you tell us anything about the visit of Lord Lothian today?
A. “There is nothing, I think. He had a very small matter to talk about and I don’t think it is really important enough to go into it.
Q. “In that connection, there is a report from Rome quoting semiofficial reports that negotiations are in progress for new bases, that is additional bases, with particular reference to the Falkland Islands off Argentina. Is there anything to that?
A. “That reminds all of us, I think, that there is pure unadulterated propaganda which states facts—that some kinds of propaganda are based on half truths when they are worse than no truth at all. Other kinds of propaganda such as this are utterly without any vestige of truth as a basis.”
Very truly yours,
- Supra.↩