710.Consultation(2)/102a

The Secretary of State to the Director of the Pan American Union (Rowe)

My Dear Dr. Rowe: In connection with the meeting of the Governing Board of the Pan American Union, which has been called for Saturday, June 29, in order to determine the agenda of the forthcoming Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the American Republics to be held at Habana, I enclose for consideration by the drafting committee which I understand has been appointed a suggested agenda prepared in the Department of State.

You will observe that this document follows the headings and the general form used at Panama. It is intentionally broad in scope and general in terms so as to permit the Foreign Ministers to give consideration to the projects which may be presented at the meeting in connection with all the problems of common interest which confront them.

Sincerely yours,

Cordell Hull
[Enclosure]

Proposed Agenda for the Second Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the American Republics

I—Neutrality

Consideration of the rights and duties of the belligerents and of the American republics, including:

(1)
The examination of the pertinent recommendations of the Inter-American Neutrality Committee and of the steps which have been taken as a result thereof.35
(2)
The examination, in the light of present circumstances, of the standards of neutrality set forth in the third article of the “General Declaration of Neutrality of the American Republics”, which was adopted at the Panama Meeting on October 3, 1939.
(3)
The interchange of information regarding violations of neutrality or subversive activities by nationals of non-American countries or others in the territory and jurisdiction of any or all of the American republics.
(4)
Consideration of the humanitarian activities which, in a coordinated manner, can be and should be conducted by the National [Page 203] Red Cross Societies in the American republics for the benefit of the victims of the European war.

II—Protection of the Peace of the Western Hemisphere

Consideration of measures to be taken with a view to the preservation of the integral sovereignty and peace of the nations of the western hemisphere:

(1)
The study of the problems which will confront the American republics in case the sovereignty, or control, now exercised by non-American states over geographic regions of the Americas is relinquished, lapses, or is materially impaired.
(2)
The examination of the measures which have been or may be proposed in order to insure the attainment of the objectives set forth in the Declaration of Panama.
(3)
The consideration of the problems of continental defense.
(4)
The examination of the machinery of inter-American consultation36 with a view to determining whether any steps should be taken at this time toward the further development of that machinery in the light of the requirements of the present situation.

III—Economic Cooperation

(1)
Consideration of the measures which have already been proposed by the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee.
(2)
Examination of additional measures the adoption of which may be desirable under present circumstances or which it may be desired to refer to the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee for immediate analysis and recommendation.
  1. See section entitled “The Inter-American Neutrality Committee,” pp. 257 ff.; also Second Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics, Havana, Cuba, July 1940: Special Handbook Prepared by the Pan American Union (Washington, 1940).
  2. In telegram No. 188, of June 27, 2 p.m., to the Ambassador in Brazil, and circular telegram of June 27, 8 p.m., the following addition was made between the words “consultation” and “with”: “as created by the Buenos Aires and Montevideo Conferences, as well as by the Panama Meeting,”.