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

740.24112 RP/5–646

The Department of State to the Bolivian Embassy

Aide-Mémoire

At the Third Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics held at Rio de Janeiro in January 1942, the American Republics determined to adopt such measures as might be necessary to eliminate all financial and commercial activities of the Tripartite Powers prejudicial to the welfare and security of the American Republics and to prevent within the American Republics all commercial and financial transactions inimical to the security of the Western Hemisphere.¹⁷ Again at the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace held in Mexico City, the principles of elimination of Axis influence were re-affirmed.¹⁸ Pursuant to these declarations Bolivia and the other American Republics have enacted legislation and issued enabling decrees to effect programs that would realize the mutually agreed upon objectives.

Moreover, in the discussions that have ensued between the representatives of the Government of the United States and the authorities of the Bolivian Government, the latter have repeatedly stated that steps such as those for the control and so-called “replacement” of dangerous Axis financial and commercial firms were to be undertaken.

This Government has accorded its cooperation with the Bolivian Government in the nature of technical and advisory assistance for the attainment of these ends. Particular attention is invited to the fact that a special representative of this Government has been sent to La Paz to work with the Board of Economic Defense established by the Bolivian Government and that as a result of the studies of this Board, with the cooperation of the representative of this Government, a specific plan was prepared and submitted to the Bolivian Government for its consideration and execution.

Despite the long lapse of time since the original mutual decision of the American Republics taken at the Rio de Janeiro Conference to proceed with measures to extirpate dangerous Axis influence from the economies of the American Republics and these latest aforereferred to measures to enact an effective plan to accomplish this end, it appears that the replacement program has not as yet been completely implemented by the Bolivian Government. The Government of the United States is confident that the Bolivian Government, in accordance with its declarations and advices, will wish to proceed to the full implementation of the replacement program to which both Governments attach equally significant importance.

Washington , May 6, 1946.

17. For texts of the recommendations of the Conference, see Department of State Bulletin, February 7, 1942, pp. 117 ff. For documentation on the Conference, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. v, pp. 6 ff.
18. For texts of the resolutions of the Conference, see Pan American Union, Final Act of the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace, Mexico City, February–March, 1945 (Washington, 1945). For documentation on the Conference, see Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. ix, pp. 1 ff.