Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of Protocol (Simmons)
Subject:
- Call on the President of Dr. Alberto Domínguez Cámpora
- Participants: The President
- Dr. Alberto Domínguez Cámpora
- The Ambassador of Uruguay
- John F. Simmons, Chief of Protocol
His Excellency Dr. Alberto Domínguez Cámpora, Chairman of the Uruguayan Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, called on the President by appointment at 11:15 a.m. today.
The main theme of Dr. Domínguez Cámpora’s conversation with the President was the difficulty constantly being experienced by Uruguay in relation to the intrigues of the neighboring country of Argentina which seemed to be constantly revealing its hand as wishing a kind of “hegemony” over Uruguay.
He said that the Uruguayan Government and people were constantly being exposed to this type of intrigue, usually taking the form of infiltrations of individual Argentine agents, in large measure among the junior officers of the Uruguayan Army, as well as in the universities and in the political life of the country.
He said that this question was so serious that he felt compelled to bring it personally to the President’s attention. He stressed the point that, the moment any apparent deterioration came to light in our relations [Page 1569] with Uruguay, such as in our recent commercial disputes, this fact was seized upon and exploited by Argentina to create further difficulties. In referring to Argentina, he usually spoke of the “Perón Government”.
The President assured him that we have the highest respect, admiration and friendship for Uruguay; that there are no real differences at all between our two countries; that divergent viewpoints are always apt to occur in international relations and particularly in commercial matters.
Dr. Domínguez Cámpora expressed profound satisfaction at hearing these reassuring words and said that the Uruguayan Government and people always have had, and will continue to have, the greatest admiration and respect for the United States and its people.