824.24/10–347: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Bolivia
us urgent
532. Publication amount Bolivia received and amount payment due may give rise to ill feeling and seriously jeopardize collection of sums due from other American republics since percentages differ with various [Page 389] agreements and especially since renegotiation of agreement also would be fully known. No other agreement has been renegotiated and few renegotiations are contemplated.
Dept does not understand why publicly announced decree necessary to make payment originally specified in Strictly Confidential agreement. Please explain fully as possible. Suggest communicate Dept objection to publication to Bolivians and explore possibility keeping terms confidential. Would it not be legally feasible for Bol Govt to publicly announce, if necessary, only that an installment payment was being made on lend-lease account, permitting terms of lend-lease negotiation to remain confidential?