835.741/46
Memorandum by Mr. Louis J. Halle, Jr., of the Division of the American Republics to the Chief of That Division (Bonsal)
Argentine Decree Suspending Use of Code on International Radio Circuits
Mr. Bonsal: The only telecommunication circuits from Buenos Aires to Europe or Asia that do not pass through any United Nations control-point are the radio circuits. The Axis Embassies, as a result of the present decree, can not send code messages over these circuits. In theory, they are free to send code messages to Europe by way of the cable circuits, but these all pass through British or American control-points.
Resolution XL of Rio called for complete severance of telecommunications with Axis territory. Argentina has not complied, since it will continue to maintain telecommunications with Axis territory for plain-language and (presumably) commercial-code messages. However, what Argentina has done should be even more effective than compliance with Resolution XL, since it will affect the communications of neutral missions, such as the Spanish, in Buenos Aires. If the Spanish wish to send messages to Europe in confidential code, they must do so by cable, through United Nations control-points rather than directly as heretofore. This means that the British, or ourselves, can at the very least hold up the Spanish messages for twenty-four or forty-eight hours, and can probably prevent completely any misuse of this channel. In any case, the decree can hardly be welcome to the Spanish Government, which has such close bonds of friendship and culture with Argentina particularly! The Axis Embassies have left to them only the following possibilities for rapid communication with their home bases:
- (1)
- Clandestine radio.
- (2)
- Non-confidential messages that may, of course, contain hidden meanings.
- (3)
- Confidential code messages (possibly) through the Spanish Embassy and by way of cables under United Nations control. It seems doubtful that they would be able to use this channel.