Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The American Republics, Volume V

710.Consultation (3)A/269: Telegram

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

Montevideo , March 11, 1943—5 p.m.
[Received 7:55 p.m.]

284. At a meeting of the subcommittee on organization called to discuss detailed plans for the visits to the countries represented at Rivera and to draft the communication to the Governments of Peru and Chile, the Mexican member asserted the urgent necessity for sending communications to all of the remaining Republics inquiring as to the desirability of the consultative visits. The proposal will be submitted to the full Committee at tomorrow’s meeting, March 12. In view of the unqualified opinion of my colleagues that the work of the Committee has now reached a stage where it cannot be fully effective without the consultations, I feel that it would be extremely impolitic for me to oppose the scheme. I would emphasize that my relations with the majority of the Committee, the support of which I have enjoyed on a number of important issues, would be prejudiced by a negative vote on a matter which they consider of primary importance. Such a vote would be most difficult for me to justify in view of the fact that opposition to the visits has been identified with the Argentine Foreign Office.⁴⁶

The Department will recall that Dr. Guani has publicly announced on several occasions, including his speech to the Inter-American Defense Board,⁴⁷ that the Committee has decided to dedicate a large portion of its future program to visits to all of the American Republics. At tomorrow’s meeting I will suggest that the communications to the remaining Republics be postponed at least until the completion [of] the visits to La Paz and Asuncion. It is probable, however, that my suggestion will not be favorably received and that the question will come to a vote, in which event I feel that it would be very unwise to vote in the negative. I do not consider that a decision to open negotiations with the remaining Republics necessarily precludes a subsequent decision not to undertake a visit to a particular Republic.

Dawson

46. In telegram No. 176, March 18, 6 p.m., to the Ambassador in Uruguay, the Department indicated that it had no objection to the Committee’s proposal to visit countries concerning the regulatory control measures recommended by the Committee.
47. A body composed of the military, naval, and aviation technical representatives of the American Republics, having its headquarters at Washington, and its purpose to study and recommend defense measures.