Office of the Historian

710 Consultation 4/8–1445: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil (Berle)

Washington, September 4, 1945.

2143. Following is text of telegram addressed to Secretary by Foreign Minister Velloso August 14:

“As agreed upon at San Francisco among the Chiefs of the delegations of the American Republics which participated in the United Nations Conference1 a treaty between our Governments for the purpose of giving convention form to the Act of Chapultepec2 should be agreed upon. The City of Rio de Janeiro was chosen for the Conference which is to meet for that purpose and at the same time the Government of Brazil was entrusted with the responsibility of inviting the Governments of the sister Republics to send representatives to such an important meeting. To carry out this decision the President of the Republic3 has instructed me to transmit the referred to invitation to your Government with the suggestion that the new Conference open in this Capital on October 20 next, and that it be known as the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace and Security in the Continent. I am now carrying out those instructions through Your Excellency, certain that your Government will receive the present invitation favorably. I hope that for the greater prestige and efficiency of the meeting Your Excellency will come personally. I avail myself of the opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.”

The following reply is being sent:

“I acknowledge, on behalf of my Government, the receipt of Your Excellency’s courteous telegram of August 14 in which you transmit the invitation of your Government for this Government to be represented at the inter-American conference to be held in the city of Rio de Janeiro on October 20 next. I am happy to convey to you herewith my Government’s appreciation and acceptance of the invitation.

This Government is in entire agreement with the suggestions of your Government, approved by the Governing Board of the Pan American [Page 155] Union,4 that the Conference should convene on October 20 next and that it should be known as the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace and Security.

I note with appreciation the kind expression of your hope that I may attend the meeting personally.

I shall convey to Your Excellency at the earliest possible moment the names of those who will constitute the delegation of the United States of America at the Conference.

I take this occasion to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.”

James F. Byrnes
  1. For documentation on this Conference, see vol. i, pp. 1 ff.↩
  2. Final Act of the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace, signed at Mexico City, March 8, 1945. For text, see Department of State, Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) No. 1543, or 60 Stat. (pt. 2) 1831; for documentation, see ante, pp. 1 ff.↩
  3. Getulio Vargas.↩
  4. For action of this Board, see Department of State Bulletin, September 9, 1945, p. 376.↩