856B.20/64
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
Dr. Van Kleffens and I talked last night, February 6th, of the Venezuelan settlement. He said that he had already advised Dr. Escalante of the terms of the settlement. He had likewise sent an airmail despatch to the Netherlands Minister at Rio directing him to forward to the Dutch Minister at Caracas copies of the relevant documents covering the participation of Brazil in the sending of American troops to Surinam. He had directed the Netherlands Minister at Caracas to be guided so far as possible by the principles and plan embodied in the documents covering Brazilian participation.
He requested that we cable Corrigan advising him that Van Kleffens had done this, and requesting him to maintain close contact with his Netherlands colleague there, and likewise to explain to the Venezuelan Government that if there were any delay in working out details, it was due merely to the time needed for the documents to reach Caracas from Rio.
I said I would arrange to have this done.
Dr. Van Kleffens said that as soon as he had been able thoroughly to explain to his Government that there was no quality of permanence in the Venezuelan participation, the difficulties had disappeared.