Office of the Historian

810.00/12–2348

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of North and West Coast Affairs (Mills)

Washington, December 23, 1948.

Subject: Peruvian Inquiry regarding Consultation with Other American Republics.

Participants: Señor Don Manuel G. Galdo, First Secretary, Peruvian Embassy
Mr. Sheldon T. Mills, Chief of NWC

Señor Galdo called at his request. He had in his hand a copy of the Department’s press release of December 211 dealing with our concern over the overthrow of duly elected governments by military cliques. He said he was seeking information as to its meaning. I explained to Mr. Galdo that the U.S. Government was greatly concerned over the three overthrows of duly elected governments by military groups: first in his country, then in Venezuela, and now in San [El] Salvador. I told him that because of this concern we were consulting all of the governments of the other American Republics, with the exception of Venezuela and San [El] Salvador with which we do not currently have relations, regarding steps which the Inter-American Organization might take to prevent such overthrows taking place in other countries. Our Ambassador in Peru, I added, had called upon the Peruvian Foreign Minister on December 22 and handed him a memorandum summarizing the Department’s views. Mr. Tittmann had requested [Page 116] the Foreign Minister’s comments. The Peruvian Foreign Minister stated he appreciated our concern, adding that the Peruvian Government could not be “more democratic.” He promised his comments later.

This was news to Mr. Galdo since his inquiry was on the initiative of the Peruvian Embassy here and was not under instructions from his Government. It had been news to him to learn that we had communicated our views to the Peruvian Government and requested its reaction.

He stayed for nearly an hour discussing the conditions in his country, attacking the APRA party and explaining to me that his country was not yet ready for either the British or American types of democracy.

  1. For press release of December 21, 1948, see Department of State Bulletin, January 2, 1949, p. 30.↩