740.0011 Pacific War/756: Telegram

The Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

1945. My telegram number 1935, December 8, 1 p.m. Aranha tells me that every member of the Cabinet, and especially the Minister of War27, was very open and very decided in their pro-United States attitude at the Cabinet meeting. Góes Monteiro came to see him immediately thereafter and said that it was up to him (Góes) to show by action that he was more pro-United States than the others; he wants only the chance to do so he said.

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Aranha says the Government will take energetic steps at once to control the internal situation. They realize that they will probably meet at least with sabotage in various parts of the country.

Aranha has been calling in all of the Latin American representatives here this afternoon and giving them pep talks. I heard him tell them that an attack on the United States was an attack on all the Americas; that Brazil has taken only the first steps and that there are any number of other steps to come; that he, Aranha, believes that it is worthwhile making the attempt to get unanimity of action in all the Americas for these steps: if unanimity is not achieved near unanimity probably will be. He talked very seriously and very competently to them setting the point of view that this is the fight of all the Americas. He asked them all to communicate these views to their home governments. …

He told them of the Department’s proposal for a meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. He told them that he highly approved and would approve holding the meeting here in Rio as set out by the last Habana Conference. He said that he had suggested to Washington that the United States, as the nation which has suffered the aggression, do the inviting.

Caffery
  1. Gen. Pedro A. Góes Monteiro.