833.51/688
The Minister in Uruguay (Lay) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 11.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that upon receipt of the Department’s telegram No. 11 of March 25 [24], 9 a.m. [7 p.m.] I communicated to the Acting Minister of Finance that part of this telegram within quotations from the Foreign Bondholders Protective Council and, as instructed, expressed the hope that Dr. Charlone, the Minister of Finance, who is now in Geneva, would be able to visit the United States en route home from Europe, and pointed out how difficult it would be to carry on negotiations looking to an adjustment of the debt situation at long range by cable and the long delays entailed thereby.
The Acting Minister told me that President Terra found it most difficult to spare Dr. Charlone at this time when a number of financial and fiscal measures were being discussed in the Uruguayan Congress which required the personal attention of Dr. Charlone. I told the Acting Minister that a side trip to the United States would extend Dr. Charlone’s absence only ten days and that the Minister could accomplish more toward an adjustment of this very important matter in a few days discussion than by months of correspondence. The Acting Minister then said that he would show President Terra the translation of the cable from the Council and let me know whether the President approved of Dr. Charlone going to the United States at this time. The Department will be advised by cable when I hear from the Acting Minister of the President’s decision.1
Respectfully yours,
- In despatch No. 216, April 17, the Minister reported that he concluded from a brief conversation with President Terra that Dr. Charlone would not be permitted to go to New York at that time (833.51/692).↩