710 Peace/9–1349
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Special Inter-American Affairs (Jamison)
Meeting of the Inter-American Peace Committee, September 13, 1949 at the Pan American Union
All members were present, Chairman Quintanilla presiding.
Chairman Quintanilla reported that he had been over the draft of the Committee’s conclusions with both Ambassador Salazar of the Dominican Republic and Ambassador Gonzalez Arévalo of Guatemala on Saturday evening.1 He reported that both expressed themselves as being in full agreement with the conclusions. He also reported that, in response to his informal intimation that a letter from the Guatemalan Government indicating its approval of the conclusions would be most helpful, Gonzalez Arévalo indicated that such a reply would be made. He reported further that he was under the impression from his conversation with Salazar that, barring the development of a new and definite movement against the Dominican Republic, that Government would not call for a Meeting of Consultation of Foreign Ministers. Quintanilla was felicitated on the achievements thus reported by Ambassador Accioly, a view which was thereupon seconded by all the other members of the Committee.
The Committee then considered each of the points in the draft conclusions, minor changes being made in a number of the articles. Ambassador Daniels emphasized again his understanding that Point (5) on propaganda should not be interpreted as implying that internal legislation of any country should be changed. The other members agreed. With reference to Point (13) in which the methods of pacific solution contained in the Pact of Bogotá are referred to, Mr. Daniels indicated that in view of the U.S. reservations to that particular treaty and the possibility that it would not be ratified by [Page 462] the U.S.,2 the language used did not imply U.S. approval of the Convention as it now stands. It was agreed that there was no such implication.
It was agreed that the conclusions would be approved and incorporated in an Acta Final at a public meeting at 11:30, September 14.3 It was furthermore agreed that the Acta Final including these conclusions would be sent to all the Representatives on the COAS, not as a report, since the Committee can only report to a Meeting of Consultation or an Inter-American Conference, but for their information. It was indicated that responses by governments indicating their approval of the conclusions would not be solicited but would nevertheless be welcomed.