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

862.20210/2144: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina ( Armour )

Washington , January 8, 1943—10 p.m.

38. Your 13, January 4, 6:00 p.m.² The Department desires that you make immediate arrangements with Spaeth³ for presenting the memoranda on subversive activities in Argentina⁴ to the Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense within a day or two after the formal severance of relations between Chile and the Axis.⁵ It is the Department’s opinion that rather than undertaking to publish the memoranda as a unilateral act of this Government or suggesting to the Committee for Political Defense that they be published, a note of transmittal should be addressed by Ambassador Dawson⁶ to the Chairman of the Committee⁷ stating that “this material is submitted to the Committee because it affects the security of the entire hemisphere and thus to varying degrees the security of each of the American republics.” It is the Department’s belief that once the material has been presented to the Committee the members thereof appointed by the other American republics will probably themselves suggest publication.

It is not entirely clear to the Department just what memoranda you have in mind to be published. It is assumed that the memorandum presented to the Argentine Government on November 3 is that contained in your despatch no. 7065 of October 22,⁸ as modified by your telegram no. 2149 of November 2, 1 p.m.⁹ and with an additional paragraph with regard to Reiner.¹⁰ The Department also assumes that the second memorandum, presented on November 4, was a copy of an F.B.I, memorandum entitled “Axis Espionage Activities in Argentina”, transmitted to you under cover of an instruction of October 22, 1942.¹¹ Finally, the Department has not received any memorandum identified with that presented by the Embassy on November 11, but presumes that this contained the material forwarded from the Embassies in Santiago and Rio de Janeiro.

The Department does not wish to delay matters unduly, by reviewing that material which it has not seen, but relies on your judgment and that of Mr. Spaeth to eliminate from these memoranda any matters which might be offensive to the dignity of Argentina, or of any other American republic or prominent citizen thereof. Caution is enjoined as respects any reference to methods by which material was obtained other than from statements of individuals arrested or detained. You should send English¹² or whichever officer is most conversant with the matter to Montevideo with the complete file in order that he may assist Ambassador Dawson and Mr. Spaeth in the preparation of the three memoranda for submission to the Committee. While the Department hopes that you will yourself review the final texts, any points about which there is doubt may be submitted by Spaeth to the Department by cable. If any part has not been translated into Spanish, this should also be undertaken immediately, with a view to assembling the material in suitable form for presentation to the Committee.

A definitive copy of the proposed communication (i.e. covering letter and three memoranda) to the Committee should be transmitted by air mail to the Department as soon as possible.

Please repeat to the Embassy in Montevideo for the information of the Ambassador and Mr. Spaeth.

Hull

2. Not printed.
3. Carl Spaeth, American Member, Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense.
4. For drafts of memoranda, from which the final draft differed only slightly, transmitted by the Ambassador in Argentina in his despatch No. 7065, October 22, 1942, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. v, p. 218.
5. See pp. 795 ff.
6. William Dawson, American Ambassador in Uruguay.
7. Alberto Guani, Uruguayan Minister for Foreign Affairs.
8. Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. v, p. 217.
9. Not printed; the modifications were of slight importance.
10. H. B. Reiner, espionage leader in Chile, who took refuge in Buenos Aires. See telegram No. 1633, October 30, 1942, 3 p.m., to the Ambassador in Argentina, Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. v, p. 228.
11. Not printed.
12. Clifton P. English, Vice Consul at Buenos Aires.