710 Consultation 4/1–2246
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Brazilian Affairs (Braddock) to the Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs (Briggs)
We are approaching an impasse as regards holding the Conference in Rio de Janeiro in April since the circumstances that led to postponement of the earlier scheduled Conference remain the same:
- 1)
- Argentina has been invited to the Conference.
- 2)
- The United States will not sign a defense pact to which the present Argentine Government is a signatory.
It is my understanding that we propose to let Brazil work out this unfortunate situation as best she may, without taking any responsibility ourselves for requesting or suggesting a new postponement.
At the meeting of the Pan American Union in November which provided for fixing a new date for the Conference,6 the United States seems to have led other American Republics, or at least Brazil, to believe that we would be willing to attend the Conference at the later date. Since it now appears that as a result of our continued stand regarding Argentina, the Rio Conference cannot possibly succeed (unless in the meantime a government should emerge in Argentina which we are willing to accept), I submit that the initiative in seeking a new postponement of the Conference should be properly ours and that Brazil should not be expected to assume the responsibility for this unpopular step.7
- See Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. ix, pp. 154 ff.↩
-
A marginal notation by Philip Chalmers of the Division of Brazilian Affairs reads as follows: “I agree. We can scarcely expect future cooperation from Brazil if we let her ‘hold the bag’ on this one. PC”.
The following notation by the Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs also appears in the margin: “This ignores reasons why we won’t do business with Perón, but this is no doubt position Brazil would take. B.”
↩