833.51/696
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Uruguay (Lay)
Sir: The Foreign Bondholders Protective Council, Incorporated, has recently requested the Department to urge upon the Uruguayan Government the desirability of having the Minister of Finance return to Uruguay by way of New York in order to take up directly with the Council the question of Uruguay’s foreign indebtedness in the United States. In view of the fact, however, that you have reported that the President of Uruguay had decided to order the Minister of Finance to return directly to Montevideo because of the numerous important matters awaiting his attention, the Department informed the Council that it did not feel it advisable to instruct you to again press this matter.
The Department is now in receipt of a letter dated May 7th, from the Council, a copy of which is enclosed,2 in which, as you will note, the suggestion is made that the Uruguayan Government give consideration to either sending someone else or authorizing some other official in the United States to deal with the Council. If you perceive no objection to such course you are authorized to transmit this suggestion to the appropriate Uruguayan authorities. However, the Department leaves entirely to your discretion the question of whether you take up this matter or not with the Uruguayan Government.
Very truly yours,
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