711.34/4–1146
The Ambassador in Paraguay ( Beaulac ) to the Secretary of State
No. 1608
[Received April 23.]
Subject: Reporting a series of conversations I have had with the new Foreign Minister concerning matters pending between our governments and matters of interest to the two governments
Sir: I have the honor to report that I have had a series of conversations with the new Foreign Minister, Dr. Antonio Taboada, concerning the matters pending between our governments, and matters of interest to the two governments.
Yesterday morning I discussed, among other things, the status of Stica (Servicio Técnico Interamericano de Cooperación Agrícola). I told the Minister that I had been able to obtain my Government’s consent to the extension of the Stica agreement for eighteen months from June 30 of this year, largely because of the circumstance that I was able to convey President Morínigo’s commitment that Congressional elections would be held in Paraguay during 1946.
I assured the Foreign Minister that my Government had no intention of intervening in Paraguay’s internal affairs. I said also that it recognized that internal political conditions were not alike in any two countries. I said that my Government, nevertheless, could not but have friendlier and closer relations with governments that really tried to carry out the democratic ideal than with other governments.
I then told the Minister that the President had told me in conversation recently that the Liberal Party would be permitted to take part in this year’s Congressional elections under any name but that of Liberal. I said that I had made no comment on this statement of the President at the time. However, I intended to speak to him later on, and I intended to express my preoccupation that the Government was lending itself to the charge that one of the major Paraguayan political parties was being excluded from this year’s elections.
The Minister said that he would tell the President of his conversation with me and would contribute his bit to seeing that all parties were allowed to participate in the coming elections. He said that before accepting his post as Foreign Minister he had received the President’s assurance that the Government would work sincerely toward democracy, and he was confident that the President intended to carry out this assurance.
[Page 1177]For the Department’s information, the Brazilian Ambassador, who has recently returned from Rio de Janeiro, has told me that his Government has instructed him to speak to President Morínigo on the subject of democratization. The Ambassador told me he intended to urge the President not to exclude the Liberal Party from the elections.
Respectfully yours,