740.0011 EW/1–1745: Telegram
The Ambassador in Ecuador (Scotten) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 18—noon.]
50. The following suggested exchange of communications between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and myself is that referred to in my report on a conversation with the Minister this afternoon.
Suggested aide-mémoire from the Minister to the Ambassador (in translation):
“In the interview which was held by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ecuador and the Ambassador of the United States on January 18, 1945, the Minister conferring with the President of the Republic stated the following to the Ambassador:
- (1)
- That Ecuador desired to comply fully with its international obligations, especially those derived from the last Pan American Conferences.
- (2)
- That, therefore, it was desirous of formalizing its declaration of war against Japan.
- (3)
- That because of conditions within the country unfortunately it could not do more toward the defeat of the Axis than it already had done but that it desired to add its moral force to that of the United States.
- (4)
- He indicated that the declaration of war against Japan should not have anything to do with [any] concessions by Ecuador to the US.
- (5)
- He asked if the foregoing declaration, in the opinion of the United States, could modify in any degree the juridical situation [apparent omission] the previous bilateral agreements or could in any manner exert influence on the diplomatic negotiations relative to Galápagos and Salinas, giving the United States an advantageous position.”
Suggested reply from the Ambassador to the aide-mémoire quoted above (in translation):
“The Government of Ecuador having manifested its desire to declare war against Japan an aggressor of the United States of America in accordance with previous international pacts especially those of Lima and Panama the Government of the United States of America desires the Government of Eucador to know that its eventual declaration of war would not modify at all the international situation existing between the two countries nor could it affect the bilateral agreements already formalized or those that, respecting Galápagos and Salinas, might come to be formalized, in view of the fact that both the one and the other situation are independent and unrelated.”