835.01/383: Telegram

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

814. Your 1247, May 16, 6 p.m. You are authorized to see Peluffo if satisfied that he desires meeting and is prepared to discuss basic question of Argentine attitude on implementation of Axis break. In such discussion you should state our position clearly and frankly, as you did in talk with Ibarra Garcia, bearing in mind the considerations set forth in our no. 804, May 17, 8 [9] p.m.11

In view of possible propaganda use that may be made of meeting before May 25 we leave to your discretion whether it would not be advisable to postpone it until after that date. In other words, if principal purpose of proposed meeting is to further Argentine effort to make use of May 25 ceremonies to break non-recognition front, then it would be advisable not to see Peluffo at this time.

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In any conversation with the Foreign Minister you should make the approach in the form of an inquiry as to the real intentions of the Argentine Government with respect to implementation of the break with the Axis, and not in the form of proposals or suggestions on our part. You should also make it entirely clear, as stated in our no. 805, May 17, 10 p.m.,12 that your attendance at the Te Deum service on May 25 in no way implies any change in our position with respect to recognition.

The Department believes you should make use of the occasion to state as forcefully and persuasively as possible the fundamental point of view of this Government, namely: That we are now engaged in the greatest war in our history and on the eve of crucial engagements in that war; that many thousands of United States and other American lives will be hazarded or expended in this effort; that the continued freedom and independence of every American nation, including Argentina itself, depends on the outcome; that in the broadest sense we are thus defending the hemisphere including Argentina with our own blood; that under these circumstances it is almost incredible that any American regime should expect recognition and the advantages of membership in the American family of nations without sincerely contributing to this common effort; that it appears to us absurd to pretend a neutral or impartial attitude as between American interests on the one hand and Axis enemy interests on the other; that this is not a question of personalities or Argentine internal affairs but a question of the basic direction of Argentine foreign policy; that we sincerely hope for a basic change in the direction of Argentine foreign policy, and no one will welcome the opportunity more than we, given that basic change, to resume in the fullest measure the historic friendship which both our peoples desire and which has been a consistent aim of our foreign policy. It might be added that practically every American home now has one or more men in the armed forces, many of whose lives are in danger, and that as a result American public opinion would create great difficulties in accepting cooperation by this Government with a government which, being in no danger of oppression, nevertheless failed to join with the other American Republics on this major historic issue.

For your information in case the subject should be raised, this Government considers and has so made clear to other interested governments, that the exchange of congratulatory telegrams between the governments of Argentina, Peru and Ecuador in connection with settlement of boundary dispute between latter two countries13 will in no way affect existing relations with the present Argentine regime.

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In the event that you see Peluffo you should make clear the circumstances to your principal colleagues, to counteract any tendency to read into the meeting a move on our part toward recognition. We assume that despite every precaution to keep meeting secret it will become known to your colleagues.

Hull
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.
  3. See bracketed note, p. 213.