862.20210/20322/4
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Argentine Ambassador called to see me this morning at his request. The Ambassador told me that he understood from Mr. Duggan79 that the aide-mémoire I had given him on November 4 covering the document containing the detailed statement of Axis activities in Argentina had not been communicated to the Argentine Government and that he had consequently cabled down the full text of this memorandum. I told him that I had already made it clear to the Ambassador that while the aide-mémoire of November 4 which I had given him was not identical with the aide-mémoire transmitted by Ambassador Armour to the Argentine Foreign Minister on November 3, it was similar and contained precisely the same general presentation of views of this Government. I gave the Ambassador to read telegram 2183, November 5, 4 p.m., from Ambassador Armour which communicated the text of the reply of the Argentine Foreign Minister to the aide-mémoire of November 3 presented by Ambassador Armour and in which the Argentine Government expresses the desire that the memorandum covering Axis activities in Argentina be kept secret.
The Ambassador then handed me a memorandum,80 attached herewith, in which the Argentine Government stated that it “understands that secrecy is essential for the purposes of the investigation being [Page 243] conducted and that those purposes, by reason of their importance and because of their interest for continental security and for the security of the country, should outweigh the reasons set forth in the United States Government’s memorandum for giving publicity to the memorandum, the diligent consideration of which has not been delayed in the slightest degree by the Argentine Government.”
The Argentine Government in this memorandum continues by stating that “once the investigation already commenced is terminated, the Argentine Government would consider the desirability of publishing by common accord the results obtained which would give rise to rigorous measures and to the proper punishments.”
In conclusion, the Argentine Government states “The results of the proceedings now initiated as a result of the information which has just been furnished to the Argentine Government is of interest, as stated above, not only to the continent, but also especially to Argentina because of reasons of her own security.”
The Ambassador inquired what reply he should make to his Government.
I stated textually that in the view of the Government of the United States it is a cause of great gratification that the Argentine Government has now appreciated the importance to the security of the entire continent that Axis activities of this nature be “rigorously suppressed”. I continued by stating that I was informed by Ambassador Armour that the Federal police authorities in Argentina had already undertaken action against the individuals whose names were set forth in the memorandum communicated to the Argentine Government and that in certain cases a very considerable mass of incriminating evidence had already been obtained. I said I hoped that the most rigorous steps possible would be taken by the Argentine Government to bring those guilty to trial so that they might be appropriately dealt with.
The Ambassador then asked if I would not give the assurances requested by his Government, namely that the memorandum transmitted to his Government should not be made public. I stated that I regretted that this Government could not make any commitment in that sense at this time.
The Ambassador insisted that such a commitment should be made. I again reiterated that I was unable to give such a commitment since the fundamental question involved was one of the utmost gravity to the security of the entire hemisphere and not only to the security of the United States itself.
The Ambassador then said that he wished to see Secretary Hull about the matter in order to see if the Secretary of State would not give him the commitment sought.
[Page 244]I said that I was sure the Secretary would be very glad to see him but that I believed that he would receive the same reply from Secretary Hull that he had received from me.