611.2231/208
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Ambassador of Ecuador called this afternoon at my request, and I handed him the memorandum52 which had been prepared for him with regard to the trade agreement negotiations between Ecuador and the United States.
The Ambassador read the memorandum carefully in my presence and then stated that he was entirely surprised and completely at a loss since he had not received a single word from his Government regarding any change of attitude on the part of the Government of Ecuador. He reminded me that he received personal letters from the President of Ecuador at least twice a week in addition to his official communications from his Foreign Office and said that in none of these communications had any indication been received of any change of attitude on the part of Ecuador. He asked if I didn’t think that Mr. Gonzalez might have misapprehended representations which had been made to him. I replied that Mr. Gonzalez’ statements seemed to be so full and so definite that I could hardly apprehend that any misunderstanding had occurred. I told the Ambassador that this whole situation gave us a great deal of disquiet and disappointment.
I said there were two points which I would like for him particularly to consider: First, that both Governments had obviously reached the conclusion after much consideration that a trade agreement between [Page 513] the two countries would be a very positive advantage to the commercial interests of both nations; second, that in view of Ecuador’s unreserved support of the resolutions for a liberal trade policy on the part of the American republics presented by the United States and adopted unanimously by all of the American republics at Buenos Aires, it seemed inconceivable that Ecuador should now insist upon taking a position which was completely at variance with all of the principles inherent in those resolutions and that in addition thereto, such an attitude on the part of Ecuador at a time when the United States was doing everything within its power to further those liberal trade principles in international relations which it believed essential for world rehabilitation, would necessarily and inevitably be regarded as a discouragement and as a set-back by all of the many nations who are now working with us towards those ends.
The Ambassador said he would at once transmit our memorandum by air mail to his Foreign Minister and that he would likewise immediately transmit an air mail letter to the President of Ecuador asking for full information and urging his Government to consider favorably the point of view expressed in the memorandum I had handed him. He told me that he would advise me as soon as he received some response.