833.61311/4–1246

The Ambassador in Uruguay (Dawson) to the Secretary of State

secret

231. Following is summary of views expressed to me by Uruguayan close to President53 who has spent week in Buenos Aires in effort to obtain wheat.

“Argentine could furnish Uruguay 50,000 tons requested. Refusal due solely to Perón54 who is using wheat as instrument in building up anti-US bloc having promised 50,000 tons each to Bolivia and Paraguay and 100,000 to Peru. Perón resents attitude Amezaga administration and is grateful to Herreristas. He aims to bring Uruguay under control and encourage establishment government subservient to him. For present his policy will be to humiliate, embarrass and discredit Amezaga administration and build up and aid Herreristas with view to victory in November elections. Attitude towards Uruguay already verges on aggression and constitutes serious danger for Uruguay and US. Reduction Uruguay to vassal state would be great victory for Perón and defeat for US. Informant convinced US must and will assist Uruguay insofar as practicable”.55

Full memo of conversation56 by courier. Repeated Buenos Aires.

Dawson
  1. Juan José Amezaga.
  2. Juan Perón, President elect of Argentina.
  3. For the opinion of the Ambassador in Argentina on the danger of a southern bloc, see despatch 583, August 15, 1946, p. 297.
  4. Not printed.