File No. 656.119/657
The Chargé in Argentina ( Robbins) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 1, 1.15 a.m.]
Your July 24, 7 p.m. The following opinion has been given by Ricardo Aldo [ Aldao], one of the leading Argentine lawyers, on [Page 1797] the status of the Dutch merchant vessels requisitioned by the Government of the United States:
With regard to assumptions 1, 2, 3, and 4, he states that the legal status of the case would in no way be changed and explains that the vessels whether unarmed or armed only for defensive purposes and whether manned by men of the United States Navy or by our Shipping Board will always be free to carry on maritime trade with any Argentine port provided such munitions as may be carried by said vessels be transshipped to lighters in the rivers, which ruling is observed in the case of all merchant vessels.
With regard to the last question he is of the opinion that no embargo can be made in Argentine on any vessel about to [sail], which would be the usual status of the vessels referred to, except in settlement of claims for payment of supplies purchased for the next homeward trip, and also that no foreign vessel can be embargoed in Argentine, even though not ready to sail, except for payment of debts, which case would be unlikely, incurred in Argentina or to be paid in Argentina. He adds finally that even in the case of an embargo being made the same could be immediately substituted by a banking guarantee.