197. Editorial Note
On November 13 Major General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu replaced Lonardi as Provisional President in a bloodless coup d’état. At the Secretary of State’s Staff meeting on November 15, Holland discussed the new Argentine Government:
“Mr. Holland said the new group that had come to power in Buenos Aires was more acceptable to the US than the Lonardi régime and that the political trend there was good. He said the Peronistas are trying to cause economic paralysis and bring down the new government but that he believes this attempt will fail.” (Notes of the Secretary’s Staff Meeting; Department of State, Secretary’s Staff Meetings: Lot 63 D 75)
At a meeting of the National Security Council on November 15 Director of Central Intelligence Dulles discussed recent developments in Argentina during his briefing on significant world developments affecting United States security. According to a memorandum of that discussion, drafted on November 16 by Gleason, the discussion went as follows:
“With respect to developments in Argentina, Mr. Dulles stated at the outset that his proposed comments had been gone over by Assistant Secretary of State Holland, who had encouraged Mr. Dulles to report at some length to the National Security Council on the financial and economic difficulties which Argentina was facing. Mr. Dulles then went on to explain that the Acting President, Lonardi, had just been deposed in a bloodless coup d’état by the armed forces, spearheaded by a group of young officers. This group feared that Lonardi was too dependent on reactionary ecclesiastical and nationalist elements in Argentina. Mr. Dulles predicted that a junta form of government would continue in Argentina for some time, and that further trouble was quite possible before affairs finally settled down.
“Thereafter, Mr. Dulles presented a brief review of the financial and economic difficulties which were going to confront any regime in Argentina. The Lonardi government had taken a few courageous steps to correct these difficulties, but prospects for the future remained far from encouraging. Mr. Dulles predicted that Argentina would look to the United States for aid in its financial difficulties, and would wish to discuss Argentine economic problems both with our Embassy in Buenos Aires and with the American authorities in Washington. The United States Ambassador in Buenos Aires had informed the State Department of his belief that American economic assistance would be essential if Argentina was to recover its stability in any reasonable time.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)
The Embassy in Buenos Aires reported the change of government to the Department in despatch 380, November 17. (Department of State, Central Files, 735.00/11–1755) Lyon summarized the despatch [Page 384] in a memorandum to Hoover, dated November 25. (Ibid., 735.00/11–2555)