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  4. Document 284

810.00/6–2749: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Venezuela

secret
Washington, June 30, 1949—7 p. m.

244. Urtel 408, Jun27. Dept’s records indicate no licenses issued for alleged shipment arms to Matute Gomez. Customs NY requested Jun 28 check all bladings and manifests ships departing from Pier 67 or vicinity for Central or SoAmer and if necessary search them for contraband. You may inform FonMin this fact and reassure him US prepared vigorously enforce laws (Deptel 51, Mar 1).1

[Page 451]

You may add Dept does not share his lack confidence OAS and considers Org has shown commendable vigor, effectiveness and discretion in handling recent problems e.g. the CR–Nic dispute in Dec 1948.2 This and other actions OAS shld, in Dept’s opinion, inspire confidence in protection afforded by Rio Treaty and other inter-Amer agreements. Dept cannot believe Ven Govt wld contemplate any act which wld patently be violation these inter-Amer obligations.

You may express hope FonMin will not become unduly alarmed over unconfirmed reports alleging hostile plans by other Govts. Dept’s experience indicates such reports frequently exaggerated when not altogether false.

As example unreliability reports you might in ur discretion refer to FonMin’s allegation (Embgam 544 Jun 203) that Betancourt enjoys easy access to Dept. Fact is Betancourt has not visited Dept since his arrival in US as exile nor do Dept officers maintain contact with him elsewhere. However, shld Betancourt call at Dept, he wld of course be courteously reed.4

Acheson
  1. Not Printed.↩
  2. Documentation relating to the Costa Rica–Nicaragua dispute is printed in the main compilation >on Costa Rica in Foreign Relations, 1948, volume ix .↩
  3. Not printed.↩

  4. The Ambassador in Venezuela responded to the Department’s telegram in his telegram 428, July 1, from Caracas, the text of which read as follows:

    “Today conveyed to Foreign Minister substance info Deptel. He said: ‘It is most satisfactory.’ He stressed importance measures prevent disturbances Caribbean and repeated Venezuelan Government will continue present policy nonintervention.” (810:00/7–149)

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