Office of the Historian

710.Peace/11: Telegram

The Ambassador in Argentina (Weddell) to the Secretary of State

Buenos Aires, February 6, 1936—7 p.m.
[Received 8:45 p.m.]

22. For Welles4 from Braden.5

1.
Saavedra Lamas6 today showed me exchanges of cables with Espil7 last July, August, October and since January 21st relative to President Roosevelt’s letters to the Presidents of the principal Latin-American Republics suggesting an inter-American conference to develop machinery for the preservation of peace on this hemisphere.
2.
The Minister explained his opposition last July and August on the score that at that time the mere hint of a general conference of this character would have led to Paraguayan desertion of the Chaco Peace Conference, an event which of itself would have destroyed any possible success for President Roosevelt’s plans.
3.
The Minister in view of (a), January 21st protocolized act; (b), improved spirit of Pan-Americanism throughout the continent; (c), chaotic conditions in Europe, believes time is propitious now for holding conference such as suggested by President Roosevelt.
4.
He cabled Espil January 28 that he now accepted both the idea of the conference and its being held in Buenos Aires.
5.
The Minister further states that it would be [a] catastrophe were the conference to fail because of lack of adequate preparation and particularly urged careful study of, (a), various peace pacts and ratifications thereof (he stated that Kellogg-Briand Pact8 had not been ratified by Argentina because of opposition of Senator Sanchez Sorondo who was influenced by purely internal political reasons but assured me he could obtain its ratification promptly when Congress [Page 6] reconvened); (b), neutrality legislation now being considered in the United States; (c), certain proposals of President Hoover regarding blockades; (d), proposals of his own relating to naval matters, rights of neutrals, etc.; (e), other subjects looking to establishment of complete and effective machinery for peace throughout America; (f), but above all he emphasized establishment of a system of neutral mediation such as “has proved so eminently successful in the Chaco”.
6.
He stated he was cabling Espil urging this careful preparation and suggesting advantage be taken of my presence in order that he and I might pursue conversations, study and preparatory work jointly.
7.
He asked whether I was familiar with the subject. I replied that you had spoken very briefly about it to me before I sailed in October but that I had received no information since then.
8.
The Minister’s remarks made it clear he fully expected conference to be held here but presented no opening for me to suggest or even discuss its locale except inferentially by indicating that an essential part of the careful preparation would be to assure ourselves of the whole-hearted adhesion of other leading foreign offices.
9.
I agreed with him it would be preferable if existing boundary disputes in America not be excluded from consideration in the conference as was insisted upon by President Benavides9 who had in mind the difficulties between Peru and Ecuador.
10.
My only other comment was with reference to one of his last cables to Espil in August in which he opposed the conference and gave as one reason that if the Sanitary Convention10 were not ratified entire Argentine attitude on Pan-Americanism would change. I remarked: “You do not mean that in any way. Why did you say it?” He replied that of course he did not mean it but had merely used it as a clinching argument at that time to obtain postponement of the conference.
11.
Please advise whether you desire me to pursue these conversations any further. If so, would appreciate your full instructions. [Braden.]
Weddell
  1. Sumner Welles, Assistant Secretary of State.↩
  2. Spruille Braden, American delegate to the Chaco Peace Conference.↩
  3. Carlos Saavedra Lamas, Argentine Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
  4. Felipe A. Espil, Argentine Minister in the United States.↩
  5. Foreign Relations, 1928, vol. i, p. 153.↩
  6. Oscar R. Benavides, President of Peru.↩
  7. Unperfected Sanitary Convention between the United States and Argentina, signed May 24, 1935, Foreign Relations, 1935, vol. iv, p. 296.↩