Office of the Historian

186. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Dungan) to President Kennedy1

Washington, April 17, 1962.

SUBJECT

  • Resumption of Relations with Argentina

As I told you last night,2 most of the European countries have already resumed normal relations with Argentina.

Of the Latin American countries, Mexico will not make any formal reply to the Argentine note because their procedures permit resumption of relations without any formal notification. Chile will resume relations at 6 P.M. this evening; Peru is ready to announce concurrent with our announcement, if it comes. Peru requires 4 hours notice. Gordon has already talked to the Foreign Office in Rio and will be seeing Dantas later this afternoon.3 It is unlikely that Brazil will take any action until after the Lower House of the Argentine Legislature acts on the Succession Bill. The Lower House of the Argentine Legislature will meet this afternoon and refer the Bill to a committee, thus deferring action until after the Easter holiday. It appears unlikely that the UCRI (Frondizi) will oppose the measure in the Argentine Legislature.

The Secretary will probably call you this afternoon suggesting that we move ahead promptly and reply to the Argentine note,4 thereby resuming normal relations with the Guido government. I think that there is no need to rush into this and that we would not want to complete this action before your press conference tomorrow morning.5 The announcement could be delayed until next week without any damage.6 I think you [Page 383] already know that all of the Latin American governments have been put on notice that we will probably move to resume normal relations with Argentina. I might say all have either indicated no opposition or approval. In every case, there was an expression of satisfaction that we have consulted with them on this matter.

RAD
  1. Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries Series, Argentina, General, 1962.↩
  2. According to an April 17 memorandum from Martin to Rusk, President Kennedy told Dungan on the night of April 16 that “he was reluctant to move until one of the big countries, like Brazil or Mexico, had moved. He was also unwilling to have the letter to Betancourt go out, even though it did not commit us, until we decided to move.” (Department of State, Central Files, 611.35/4-1762)↩
  3. Ambassador Lincoln Gordon in Brazil.↩
  4. In the note of March 30, the Argentine Government informed the Embassy that the office of the President was vacant and that Guido had taken the oath of office before the Supreme Court and had assumed the Presidency of the Republic. (Telegram 2037 to Buenos Aires, April 17; Department of State, Central Files, 735.11/4-1762)↩
  5. Reference is to the President’s press conference of April 18, in which Argentina was not discussed; for text, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962, pp. 331-339.↩
  6. According to Press Release No. 257, April 18, Ambassador McClintock that day acknowledged receipt of the Argentine note of March 30, thus continuing relations with the Government of Argentina.↩