710.Consultation 2 (C)/44: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Uruguay (Dawson)

284. For Spaeth: Department’s 274, May 18.1 In your capacity as delegate to the Inter-American Conference on Coordination of Police and Judicial Measures you should be guided by the following instructions:

  • “1. The Department is extremely doubtful of the advisability of entering at this time into any agreement which might be reached at Buenos Aires for the establishment of any system of exchange of information with regard to subversive activities which might entail obligations, real or implied, for this Government to furnish such information on demand of any other American republic. The present attitude of the Argentine Government with respect to full and unreserved cooperation for defense of the continent is too well known to require comment. Moreover, there is serious doubt in the minds of policy officers of this Department whether any information which might be transmitted to a central exchange might not find its way through one means or another into Axis hands.
  • 2. For this reason, while desirous of strengthening in every way consistent with the broad interests of this Government the general structure of inter-American machinery, the Department’s attitude towards the conference in Buenos Aires has necessarily been conditioned by the attendance at the Conference of certain officials harboring doubtful sympathy toward this Government.
  • 3. Accordingly, while the American delegate should take every opportunity to show his willingness to cooperate with the delegates from the other American republics, he should avoid making any commitment for an information center on subversive activities of the type described in numbered paragraph 1 above, as well as any other commitments for the exchange of intelligence information without prior reference to the Department and definite approval of those projects by Washington.
  • 4. The Department feels, however, that the conference at Buenos Aires will afford a useful opportunity for the members of our delegation to get in touch and to establish friendly relations with representatives of the law-enforcement agencies of the other American republics who are concerned with subversive activities and other matters affecting the political defense of the continent.
  • 5. Upon your arrival in Buenos Aires you will doubtless want to discuss the conference and its possible aims and political implications with Ambassador Armour so as to obtain the benefit of any suggestions which he may desire to communicate to you.
  • 6. The Department does not intend to present any draft resolutions for consideration by the conference.”

It is requested that you forward immediately a copy of these instructions to the American Ambassador in Buenos Aires for his information, guidance and comment.

Hull
  1. Not printed.