710 Consultation 4/12–844: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Representatives in the American Republics Except Argentina and El Salvador
Reference Department’s circular of December 7, 7 p.m. The Department has given careful consideration to the Ecuadoran proposal for the appointment of a special commission to consider the Argentine problem.
[Page 76]In reply to any inquiries by the government to which you are accredited, you are authorized to state our reaction to this Ecuadoran proposal as follows:
- 1.
- The creation of a commission to conduct an intervening examination of the kind proposed would only cause further delay at a time when there is urgent need for a meeting of Foreign Ministers of countries collaborating in the war to consider problems directly connected with their common effort, and at a time when we are also called upon to make plans for an economic conference as well as for a meeting of the United Nations.
- 2.
- Since the Ecuadoran proposal contemplates that all “interested” governments would be heard by the commission and since all of the Republics are obviously “interested” in the problem, it is difficult to see any fundamental difference between the Ecuadoran request and that by the Farrell regime. In view of the fact that practically all of the governments have now taken a position on the Argentine request, the move by Ecuador is tantamount to a petition for rehearing the Argentine request in a slightly different form. The same reasons that justified rejection of the Argentine request justify rejection of the proposal by Ecuador.
- 3.
- The present proposal by Ecuador must be considered in the light of an earlier recommendation which was clearly open to the interpretation that Ecuador advocated recognition of the Farrell government as a desirable preliminary to the participation by that government in a meeting on post-war problems. The new Ecuadoran proposal recommends a special commission to “listen to all the interested countries” with a view to the preparation of a “formula which will consolidate the unity of the continent”. Ecuador has therefore changed the form but not the substance or purpose of its original proposal.
- 4.
- This Ecuadoran proposal resembles the Paraguayan suggestion for a committee of investigation, except that the latter envisaged an actual investigation to be carried out in Argentina. Although such a procedure on the face of it might be expected to be quite unacceptable to the Argentine authorities, we were informed by the Paraguayan Foreign Minister that he had reason to believe it would be acceptable to them. The Farrell regime apparently assumed that any such commission would merely carry out a pro forma investigation and would in reality be intended to facilitate early recognition of the Argentine regime. (The Paraguayan Government has since officially informed us and other American governments that it will support our position as set forth in circular of November 28, 7 p.m., and it has so instructed its Ambassador here92 with a view to replying to the Governing Board of the Union.) In the circumstances, it would be logical to assume that the Argentine regime would view with approval, if it may not actually have inspired, the present Ecuadoran proposal.
For your secret information the Department has reason to believe that the Ecuadoran Government consulted with the Argentine authorities before submitting its proposal to the Governing Board of the Union.
[Page 77]Because of the known purpose and intention of the Ecuadoran initiative you should vigorously reaffirm the basic arguments of our circular telegrams of November 12, 11 a.m.93 and November 18, 10 p.m.94 in the event that you note any tendency to view that initiative sympathetically on the part of the government to which you are accredited.