710 Consultation (4)/11–1744: Telegram
The Ambassador in Mexico (Messersmith) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 18—1:29 p.m.]
1441. I have just returned from a long conversation with Padilla on the Argentine on the basis of the Department’s telegram to me of yesterday43 and the conversation which I had with Armour and Spaeth this morning. I gave Dr. Padilla the substance of the Department’s telegram and said our position remained that it was preferable to have a meeting to discuss postwar problems without the presence of the Argentine as long as the present people remained in control of the government.
Padilla said that the most negative consequence we can have of the recent situation and of the steps which we and he have taken is confusion and that inaction will lead to confusion. He fears this confusion among the other American Republics. The only reply he has had so far is from Venezuela, which this morning delivered a memorandum to him to the effect that Venezuela favored a conference to discuss the Argentine situation and possible problems. The Chilean Ambassador will be received by him at his request this evening and Padilla believes he will bring the preliminary reply of Chile, the nature of which he cannot accurately surmise.
Padilla believes that we must emphasize principles and hammer these home, and principally these two points:
- 1.
- The fulfilling of the commitments by the Argentine not complied with, and
- 2.
- The calling of elections.
He says, in his opinion, if we hammer on these two points nothing will weaken the present Argentine regime more. He says that if we can get the acceptance by the Argentine regime of these two points, through the insistence of all the other American Republics on them, then the actual presence of the Argentine at a meeting to discuss postwar problems can be a question of further discussion among the American Republics. He says that if we can get full compliance by the Argentine regime of the above two points then presence of the Argentine in a meeting of Foreign Ministers to discuss postwar problems would depend on the way that the Argentine is carrying through the above points. If, for example, they should fix the elections for some distant date, and not for a near date, it would be a bad sign and everyone would realize and agree that the Argentine could not be at a meeting.
Padilla asked me to say to the Department that he believed the Department should now send to our Chiefs of Mission a telegram to the effect that we accept the two central points of the Mexican memoranda, which are set forth in this telegram above as points 1 and 2, and that our Chiefs of Mission should so inform the respective Foreign Offices. He believes that this will stop confusion which may develop and will be very embarrassing to the Argentine regime. He says that if all the governments will agree to accept these two central points in the Mexican proposal, then consultation on further steps can go on from there. He believes that these two points of the Mexican proposal, if fortified and emphasized by our approval expressed to the other governments, will prevent confusion and keep the consultation in constructive lines.
He said there was already some confusion with respect to the Mexican attitude due to press statements made yesterday which did not accurately present the Mexican proposal, and that he might have to make some statement to the press in the next 2 or 3 days.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I think it is very important at this time that we emphasize to our Chiefs of Mission and to the other American Republics that we agree with Padilla on these two points.
Padilla is leaving for Monterrey and northern Mexico on official business Saturday evening and will be away from Mexico City for perhaps 8 days, but I can remain in constant touch with him. If the Department is agreeable to sending a telegram to our Chiefs of Mission covering the two points which Padilla has suggested, he would like to know before he leaves tomorrow evening, so he can also send a telegram to Mexican Chiefs of Mission.
- Telegram 2024, November 16, 1944, 2 p.m., not printed.↩