123: Telegram
The Ambassador in Argentina (Braden) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:30 p.m.]
1688. Re Embassy’s telegram 1638 of July 24, midnight [noon]. Embassy continues to receive much evidence which clearly indicates that defamatory campaign against me was not only protected by Argentine police but also was planned and carried out by Argentine officials. Even evidence of this nature would, however, be difficult to use because of danger of Govt. retaliation against informants. Other information directly implicating high officials close to Perón, although convincing to any objective observer, might be difficult to support against the perjury and other devices of the defense.
In my opinion, no official protest should be made at least presently regarding defamatory campaign because (1) any such protest should necessarily be based on precise information involving high officials or otherwise we will at best get only empty apology as satisfaction, (2) present evidence could probably better be used at more strategic time, for example as convincing item at future inter-American conference, (3) as a result of the spontaneous and general reaction, my position has been improved, in other words it could not have been better had we planned it.