835.24/10–2345
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Aide-Mémoire
Careful study has been given to the views of the British Government regarding certain factors relating to the Argentine Situation, as set forth in the Aide-Mémoires dated October 12 and October 23, 1945.7
The Government of the United States appreciates fully the vital importance of securing the largest possible supplies of foodstuffs for the United Kingdom and the liberated areas of Europe. Mr. Bevin9 emphasized to Ambassador Winant10 the vital necessity to the British [Page 556] Government of insuring a year’s stability in Argentina. It is the opinion of the Government of the United States that the present situation in Argentina offers little hope for stability. Furthermore, there is a real danger that a continuation of present disturbed conditions might develop to a point where there would be very critical decreases in the export of foodstuffs from Argentina.
With reference to paragraph four of the Aide-Mémoire of October 12, it is regretted that the Governments of Great Britain and the United States apparently are not in complete accord regarding the seriousness of the political factor in the Argentine situation … If the consequence of failure to comply with the international obligations may be avoided by the plea of intervention, the realization of the purposes which have inspired the formation of the United Nations Organization must inevitably be seriously jeopardized.
As concerns deliveries to Argentina of rubber, fuel oil, and coal, the United States has complied with its commitments, while Argentina has not done so.
- (a).
- Shipments of tires and synthetic rubber to Argentina are governed by the interim agreement between the United States, Brazil and Argentina.12 Of the 3,000 tires to be supplied under this interim agreement, the unshipped balance on October 16 amounted to 400 tires, 36 X 8, and 605 tubes of various sizes. Under the interim agreement an initial quota of 1,000 tons of synthetic rubber was provided. Against this quota, 910 tons have been licensed and the initial shipment of several hundred tons reached Buenos Aires during September. On October 11, the Combined Raw Materials Board approved an additional allotment of 3,000 tons of synthetic rubber for the fourth quarter. Arrivals of synthetic to date have been sufficient to start the tire production program and, in any event, the commitments of the United States do not require deliveries of the entire amount before the end of the year.
- (b).
- Approximate purchases under the fuel oil, vegetable oil agreement13 were equivalent in caloric value to 99,000 tons of fuel oil for the period between May 9 and September 5, 1945. Actual liftings of fuel oil for the same period were 109,000 tons. During the past 7 weeks additional fuel oil scheduled has kept ahead of linseed purchases.
- (c).
- As of August 18, 1945, the United States agreed to supply 20,000 tons of coal per month to Argentina for the balance of 1945. Total coal licensed for Argentina from January 1 to October 4, 1945, amounted to 213,358 tons. The balance to be licensed amounts to 15,000 tons. Coal licensed has thus kept pace with the quota of 20,000 tons per month, which represents a reasonable allocation to Argentina in view of the domestic situation in the United States.
With regard to the Aide-Mémoire of October 23, the Government of the United States appreciates the cooperation of the British Government [Page 557] in opposing the supply to Argentina or to private Argentine firms of any arms or munitions of war or other goods particularly adapted for war-like uses. Licenses for the export from the United States to Argentina of all civil aviation equipment have been held pending in the hope that the British Government would agree to a parallel policy. It has been the view of the Government of the United States that it would be extremely difficult to prevent the Argentine Government and its armed forces from benefitting by the export of such equipment to Argentina. In view of the directive now adopted by the British Government, the Government of the United States will necessarily have to review all such pending licenses.
While the Government of the United States appreciates the very real and grave economic difficulties involved in an adequate supply of foodstuffs, it wishes to emphasize again the basic importance of the political factors in the Argentine situation which are so closely related to conditions which were responsible for the war and to remedy which Great Britain, the United States and its allies have made such tremendous sacrifices in life and resources.