Office of the Historian

740.00111 A.R./1316: Telegram

The Chargé in Uruguay (Chapin) to the Secretary of State

Montevideo, June 19, 1941—3 p.m.
[Received 6:45 p.m.]

250. Department’s telegram No. 102, May 28; and my 244, June 16.1 In my formal call on the President1a this morning on the occasion the anniversary of his induction into office and of the birthday of Artigas,2 the President briefly discussed the proposed Uruguayan declaration similar to that of the resolution of 19173 that any American nation which might find itself at war with a nation of another continent would be treated by the Uruguayan Government as a nonbelligerent.

The President stated that the Uruguayan Government would in the next few days refer its proposed declaration to the other American Republics. He emphasized that this action would not be in the nature of a consultation but merely for the purpose of informing those governments in accordance with inter-American procedure and might possibly lead to similar declarations on their part.

He said that Uruguay had already received indications that the replies from Bolivia, Mexico, Cuba and the Caribbean countries would be generally favorable and that he hoped he could count on Brazil, but that he was doubtful of the nature of the replies of Argentina, Chile and even Peru.…The President stated that by avoiding the consultatory form Uruguay would be free in any case to make its declaration in any form it may see fit.

Chapin
  1. Neither printed.↩
  2. Alfredo Baldomir.↩
  3. José Gervasio Artigas, founder of the independence of Uruguay, was born in Montevideo, June 19, 1764.↩
  4. See undated telegram from the Minister in Uruguay, Foreign Relations, 1917, supp. 1, p. 301.↩