811.20 Defense (M) Argentina/37: Telegram
The Ambassador in Argentina (Armour) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:15 p.m.]
1121. Reference is made to the Department’s telegram No. 770, October 10, 6 p.m.97 Williams again discussed with Torriani98 and other members of the Interministerial Committee the Department’s suggestion to eliminate from the proposed note the third paragraph relative to a commitment to supply the Argentine Republic with various materials and to make same part of the over-all agreement. They insisted they could not accept elimination of this paragraph as such elimination would not be in keeping with decree number 97752 and would leave the tungsten agreement open to attack in the courts by those interested in continuance of exports to Axis countries. This is the opinion of the Interministerial Committee as a whole which further expressed the view that failure to include this paragraph might result in eventual annulment of the proposed tungsten agreement.
We consider the wording “as far as possible” noncommittable and earnestly recommend that the Department authorizes its inclusion in the proposed note. There is no need to stress the importance of concluding this agreement at the earliest possible date.