Office of the Historian

835.00/1363: Telegram

The Ambassador in Argentina (Armour) to the Secretary of State

Buenos Aires, February 18, 1943—11 a.m.
[Received 1:07 p.m.]

384. Military Attaché82 informed yesterday by friendly high ranking Argentine army officer that Argentine General Staff recently submitted memorandum to Minister of War83 expressing opinion that Argentina’s neutrality policy wrong and dangerous because neighboring countries increasing armament through Lend-Lease84 and Argentina’s military establishment not strong enough to resist aggression therefore recommending change of policy to accord with Rio85 and other commitments. Minister of War transmitted memo to President86 whose answer was “the policy will not be changed. If the army is not strong reinforce it.” Regional commanders have accordingly been ordered to prepare and submit by March 1st studies for raising 30,000 additional men to reinforce the 40,000 normally conscripted. Informant stated there will not be suitable shelter, clothing, arms, etc., for these additional conscripts.

Armour
  1. Col. John W. Lang.↩
  2. Gen. Pedro P. Ramírez.↩
  3. For correspondence on the Argentine Lend-Lease discussions, see Foreign Relations, 1941, vi, pp. 323 ff.↩
  4. For correspondence on the Third Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the American Republics, held at Rio de Janeiro, January 15–28, 1942, see ibid., 1942, vol. v, pp. 6 ff.↩
  5. Ramón Castillo.↩