Office of the Historian

710 Conference W and PW/2–845: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in El Salvador (Gade)

Washington, February 8, 1945—8 p.m.

30. The Guatemalan Ambassador58 has stated that his Government is not prepared to recognize El Salvador before March first but that it will recede from its position of not attending the Mexico City Conference if El Salvador does. This concession would be easier, and immediate recognition is a possibility, if delegates represent new President.59 You should intimate tactfully but forcefully to the Government of El Salvador that whereas your Government cannot, of course, present conditions of this nature to El Salvador,60 it hopes that the delegation will represent the new Administration. Our position, which is also a reflection of the Mexican attitude, is that this is desirable not only in the interests of a common hemisphere front but also that it is in the interests of El Salvador itself that its delegation to Mexico City should represent the incoming Administration. It is the new Administration which will be called upon to carry out the decisions and recommendations to be adopted at Mexico City. Please telephone the names of the delegates selected by Casteñada Castro as soon as possible.

Grew
  1. Eugenio Silva Peña.↩
  2. Salvador Castañeda Castro.↩
  3. For documentation on recognition of El Salvador by the United States, see pp. 1065 ff.↩