500.CC/9–1544

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Caribbean and Central American Affairs (Cabot)4

Participants: Secretary Hull
Dr. Gabriel Turbay, Ambassador of Colombia
Mr. Carlos Martins, Ambassador of Brazil
Señor Pedro Beltrán, Ambassador of Peru
Dr. Francisco Castillo Nájera, Ambassador of Mexico
Dr. Juan Carlos Blanco, Ambassador of Uruguay
Dr. Diógenes Escalante, Ambassador of Venezuela
Señor Enrique Gajardo, Chargé d’Affaires of Chile
Mr. Norman Armour,5 ARA
Mr. John M. Cabot, CCA

After some preliminary remarks, particularly with regard to recent successes in the war, the Secretary remarked that the matter of international organization for the maintenance of peace had been the subject of study by many organizations in recent years. He said that these studies all showed a general similarity with regard to the structure [Page 926] of an international organization and were generally similar to the plan which we had submitted at Dumbarton Oaks. He pointed out that the conversations there were preparatory, and on a technical level.

The Secretary then described at some length the background of his talks with Congressional leaders6 and said that he was now convinced that this fundamental matter would be handled on a non-partisan basis. He spoke of the role which economic matters would necessarily play in international relations in the post-war period. He mentioned a few of the many economic matters which would inevitably come up for discussion and said that any international organization must provide a place where they could be discussed.

The Secretary then went on to comment on some of the background of the conversations now being held at Dumbarton Oaks. He pointed out that in these talks we had insisted that the recommendations follow principles already established in the Inter-American community; for example, non-intervention and non-discrimination. He then spoke of the difficulties which had naturally arisen in the conversations; for example, the Russians with their different concepts, had sometimes found it difficult to understand what we were driving at and we what the Russians were driving at. He said that he nevertheless expected that the Russian talks would finish in ten days to two weeks and that the Chinese talks would take some days immediately thereafter. The Secretary said that now that we had won so many victories, we sometimes overlooked the very difficult position in which we found ourselves in 1940. Indicating the Brazilian Ambassador, the Secretary said that his country had then been in peril of German attack, and he said that the German attack on Russia had changed all this. Russia, by an immense sacrifice of blood and treasure, had borne the brunt of the German attack and thereby saved the western hemisphere from invasion.

The Secretary added that after the document drawn up at Dumbarton Oaks had been approved by the four Governments, it would then be transmitted, so we intended, to the United and associated Nations for their consideration. He expressed the wish of inviting the Ambassadors to meet with him again in order that after having ascertained their Government’s views it might be possible to discuss the document together. He hoped that a general conference might be held in November.

The Secretary then spoke of the unfortunate situation which has been created by the failure of one Government to fulfill its commitments. [Page 927] He pointed out that in Montevideo7 he had begun to rebuild our entire policy around the central point of non-intervention in spite of the feelings of other members of the United States Delegation, and that he steadily worked to this end in intervening years. Until 1942 Argentina had cooperated. … The Secretary expressed the firm belief that continental solidarity could not endure if the other republics were to recognize a Government which had thus repudiated its solemn commitments. He emphasized the importance of a continuing policy of non-recognition.

The Secretary then asked whether any of the Ambassadors had any questions. The Mexican Ambassador cleared up one small point in regard to the time schedule.

  1. Sent with circular instruction of September 23, 1944, to diplomatic representatives in the American Republics except Argentina; instruction not printed.
  2. Acting Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs.
  3. See Department of State, Postwar Foreign Policy Preparation, 1939–1945 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1949), pp. 258–269 and 315–326.
  4. For correspondence on the Seventh International Conference of American States held at Montevideo, December 3–26, 1933, see Foreign Relations, 1933, vol. iv, pp. 1 ff.