Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The American Republics, Volume XI

835.00/3–446: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Argentina (Cabot)

secret

Washington, March 5, 1946—6 p.m.

323. Please cable estimate number of total votes cast in capital and each province where final returns have not yet come in.

AP this afternoon gives Tamborini 24,000 and Perón 37,000 votes in city of BA. Is there an explanation for Perón’s apparent strength in BA and do you expect Tamborini to carry city? What is your estimate of outcome of vote in Province of BA?

Please airmail (a) detailed description of voting and counting process; (b) list of possible means of fraud; (c) detailed description of procedures and precautions taken to avoid fraud; (d) your appraisal of whether fraud was actually possible; and (e) any evidence of irregularities or fraud including those in Provinces of BA and Tucuman which necessitated new elections in some districts. Cable summary of this report as soon as possible.⁹⁵

While we appreciate considerations mentioned in your 641, Mar 4⁹⁶ it is too early to reach final conclusions re honesty of elections and therefore difficult to prevent speculation.

Byrnes

95. In telegram 703, March 9, 1946, 2 p.m., the Chargé concluded that there had been no evidence of fraud or irregularity in the conduct of voting or in the counting (835.00/3–946).
96. Not printed.