835.00/1–3146: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Argentina (Cabot)
185. Kluckhohn31 in front page article New York Times this morning, B A dateline Jan 30, quotes Perón as follows: [Page 195]
“The candidate, in an interview with this correspondent, insisted that it was the opposition which was seeking to break up the elections and that the police constantly were picking up arms that had been smuggled across the Plata River. He expressed the firm belief that the United States Embassy was involved in this counter-movement.”
You are instructed to go immediately to FonMin and leave with him an Aide-Mémoire quoting this newspaper account and stating that because of Perón’s former official position and his continued identification by public opinion with Arg Govt this Govt takes a serious view of his charges against US Emb. The Aide-Mémoire shd inquire whether Arg Govt associates itself with such charges and slid state that if it does not this Govt would expect the Arg Govt publicly to repudiate them.
Confirm delivery Aide-Mémoire by telephone at earliest possible moment. Dept will then release to press text this tel.
- Frank L. Kluckhohn, correspondent of the New York Times.↩