Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The American Republics, Volume VII

835.00/10–744

Summary Statement on the Situation of the Farrell Government⁴⁹

Buenos Aires, October 7, 1944.

The situation of the Farrell Government and the whole “June 4 movement” has deteriorated to a critical extent, due to growing internal dissatisfaction and the pressure of events abroad.

Present atmosphere recalls that existing shortly before the Revolution of September 6, 1930.⁵⁰

Since June 4 the Government’s chief problem has been that it represented perhaps not more than 5 percent of the population, with most of the rest distrustful and more or less actively opposed to it, and also that it has been hopelessly divided into two fundamentally incompatible factions. It owes its continued existence to public inertia and the support of the Campo de Mayo garrison. Now both the inertia and the Campo de Mayo support seem to be disappearing.

The Campo de Mayo, since late August, has been rent with deep dissension, the situation becoming so bad at one point that civil war seemed possible between those who wanted the Government to change its policies and those who did not. The schism became acute when Perón broke much of the extremists’ power. More recently the stormy atmosphere is reported to have given way somewhat to an uneasy feeling that the army is out on a limb and should crawl back as quickly as possible, a more conciliatory attitude toward the United States, a desire to get the army out of the Government, and a growing democratic spirit being noted recently in Campo de Mayo by an observer with connections among the garrison.

Perón having dealt successfully with the extremists and pro-Nazis, the Government is now faced with nascent revolt from the people and even some of the military. This revolt is caused by disgust and apprehension at the Government’s ineptitude in office, the general realization finally that Argentina’s international position is disastrous, and the loss of prestige resulting from the Government’s passive attitude, which amounts to a confession of weakness if not guilty conscience in the face of recent buffetings received from the United States.

The change may or may not come soon, but at all events for the first time in a year the prospect of a return to institutional normality and international cooperation is in sight.

49. Copy transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 16317 of October 7, 1944, from Buenos Aires; received October 18.
50. For correspondence on this revolution in Argentina, see Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. i, pp. 378 ff.