740.0011 E.W./2–445: Telegram

The Ambassador in Ecuador ( Scotten ) to the Secretary of State

101. The local press this morning published the following United Press despatch from New York signed by William Lander:

“President Roosevelt according to a despatch of the Washington correspondent of the New York Herald Tribune, has stated that notes have been sent to various American countries which have not declared war but have simply broken regulations [relations] with the Axis. Those countries are Uruguay, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina, it being maintained that in the existing circumstances they possibly will not be able to have seats at the peace table.

This message has been sent and is being discussed by the Foreign Offices of America just when Roosevelt is meeting with the other Allied chiefs in a conference that is still going on and at a place that is not known.16 It is believed that if these messages are well founded there will be serious reactions (serias actitudes—sic), which will have repercussions at the Mexico Conference.

It is also possible that this will be the way of solving American difficulties and of arriving at a consolidation of continental policy.”

There is published also a United Press despatch from Washington reading in part as follows:

“Well informed circles consider exaggerated and without foundation the report that Roosevelt urged seven Latin American countries to enter the war against the Axis in order that they might take part at the peace conference.”

The despatches are published in El Commercio under the headlines:

“It is said that Roosevelt asked seven American countries to enter the war against the Axis—there are involved those which until now have only broken diplomatic relations with Germany and Japan—well informed Washington circles believe the story is exaggerated.”

Scotten
  1. The Yalta Conference; for documentation, see Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, pp. 549 ff.