810.20 Defense/12–1646
The Ambassador in Brazil (Pawley) to the Chief of the Division of Brazilian Affairs (Braddock)
Dear Dan: I have read with interest your memorandum of December 463 concerning arms and Argentina and was somewhat surprised that Minister Nascimento Brito felt that such a conversation was necessary at this time.
As you know from previous despatches and letters the question of the inclusion of Argentina in an inter-American defense plan has been thoroughly discussed here in Bio with President Dutra and with the Cabinet Ministers concerned.64 All of them have expressed in varying degrees their belief that any plan of hemispheric defense is impossible without the cooperation of Argentina. Special reference might be made to my top secret despatch No. 258 of July 17, 194663 concerning a luncheon meeting which included the Ministers of War, Navy, Foreign Affairs, and Justice at which time this subject was discussed at length and in detail. No one present expressed any opposition to the inclusion of Argentina in the defense pact and on the contrary all expressed opinions that such an agreement would be inconceivable without Argentina.
There is of course present in Brazil a feeling of rivalry toward Argentina that has prevailed for many years. One manifestation of this rivalry is a fear that Argentina may encroach upon the favorable position which Brazil enjoys vis-à-vis the United States and I am sure that Brazilian leaders will be constantly active in efforts to insure that Argentina not obtain any equal footing in this regard. This attitude, however, has nothing to do with the fundamental issue of cooperation with Argentina which would include among other things supplying arms. It is my belief that there exist no fundamental disagreements which might conceivably lead to serious conflict nor is there any deep seated fear among Brazilians that they may be the object of Argentine aggression.
In view of the conversations which we have had in the past I would be most interested in learning whether Minister Nascimento Brito was instructed to initiate this conversation and to express the views set forth in your memorandum.
With kind personal regards to you, Gordon Mein,65 and the others, I am
Sincerely yours,