835.00/9–1644
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called at my request. I took up with him the Argentine question as it relates to British cooperation with American nations. I read to him extracts from two papers prepared today by the River Plate Division and other groups in the Department which showed clearly that the British could aid us to the extent necessary without endangering their meat situation. I made clear to the Ambassador that the President at an early stage of this matter, when conditions in fact were very different from what they are now, had said something to the effect that we, of course, wanted them to get all the meat they desired, et cetera. The President had in mind that they could cooperate fully with us without in the least endangering the meat situation and that they could exercise powerful influence as the controller of the buyer’s market, which would be acquiesced in by the sellers. However, it seems that the British officials were far more fearful about the risk than the President and myself and other members of this Government, and we based our views on the most elaborate and careful examination of all the facts and circumstances. This I reiterated to the Ambassador.
I also said to him that Argentina under the control of the Fascist lawless government is the refuge and headquarters in this hemisphere [Page 352] of the Fascist movement and that that movement entrenched in Argentina under the protection of a Fascist government is dangerous. I then added that if this and most of the other American nations should become seriously handicapped in their efforts to resist this movement and should fail because of the British attitude, the repercussions would be very loud throughout the Hemisphere. This Government would then be obliged to state the full facts as it finds them for the reason that the whole future of Pan Americanism is measurably at stake. The Ambassador thereupon said that if I would send to him a summing up of the facts as I had stated them, he would take the matter up at once and further with his Government. I thanked him.