710 Consultation 4/3–1346
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for American Republic Affairs (Braden)20
At the meeting of the Governing Board of the Pan American Union this afternoon all representatives voted in favor of postponement, excepting Panama and Venezuela. The Chilean made the following statement:
“The Government of Chile attributes the greatest importance to the celebration of the Treaty on Reciprocal Assistance and American Solidarity recommended in Resolution VIII of the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace, which is known as the Act of Chapultepec, since it considers that the said treaty would be the crown of the inter-American system and because if it is not concluded before the official termination of the state of war, we shall be in the position in which the Act of Chapultepec loses its effectiveness and is juridically annulled.
“Nevertheless the Government of Chile is in accord with postponing the Conference of Rio de Janeiro on the understanding that this would be no more than postponement.
“The Government of Chile also concurs in leaving the host Government of Brazil free to fix the new date on which the conference will be convoked.”
Subsequently, the Ecuadoran Ambassador moved that the Chilean statement be accepted as declaration of the sentiment of the meeting. Immediately thereafter I stated that my instructions were to go along with the majority whatever way they should determine the question. Since it was evident the majority favored postponement, we likewise accepted this decision, but I did wish to take the opportunity to second the motion of the Ecuadoran Ambassador in respect of the Chilean statement.
- Addressed to the Secretary of State, the Under Secretary, the Counselor of the Department and to Mr. Leo Pasvolsky, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State.↩