Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, The United Nations; The Western Hemisphere, Volume II

611.33/12–851: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Uruguay

secret

Washington, December 8, 1951—7:40 p.m.

202. From Miller. No distribution. I agree personnally that ICJ voting was badly handled on our part and that Urugs are entitled to explanation. Such explanation was given Mora fully by Hickerson¹ and me Weds² and I am prepared, if you see fit, write personal letter to Dominguez repeating explanation in full and expressing regret over any aspects of matter in which we have been at fault.

However, I have no patience whatever with childish blackmailing tactics of relating Urugs entire coop with us in such matters as wool shipments to USSR and backing Byelorussia for SC to what are essentially details such as our vote on ICJ and participation in film festival. Accordingly any letter I wld write Dominguez wld necessarily have to explain my disappointment that Urug has seen fit threaten US in this manner over such issues. I wld also point out that Soviet threat is aimed just as much at Urugs integrity as against ours and that their policy of opposition to USSR shld be based on this fact and not on any desire to gain approval or favor from us.

If you think letter along this line wld be helpful, which wld of course be written in friendly but firm manner, I will send it next week and you may tell Dominguez immediately that he will be receiving it. However, if in your opinion a letter wld be desirable only if it apologizes for ICJ problem and does not deal with the other much more basic issue which has been raised, I wld not propose to send any letter.³ [Miller.]

Webb

1. John D. Hickerson, Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs.
2. No memorandum of the conversation between Mr. Miller, Mr. Hickerson, and Ambassador Mora was found in the Department of State files.
3. In telegram 246, from Montevideo, December 10,1951, Charge Trueblood stated in part the following: “Since Mora was given full explanation ICJ voting and since Dominguez Campora has now been sharply rebuked by important sectors of local press … for tactics at Paris unworthy of Urug tradition believe best do nothing further.” (611.33/12–1051)