834.7962/63
The Ambassador in Paraguay ( Frost ) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 1.]
Sir: Referring to my confidential telegram No. 585 of October 28, 11 a.m., with reference to the East-West runway of the Asunción airport now under construction, I have the honor to report that I received a visit on the 19th instant from Mr. John Dwyer, Airport Development Program representative, acting as general superintendent of the current construction work on the airport here. I understood that Mr. Dwyer was acting under instructions from his superiors at Miami. He referred to the terms of the Paraguayan Decree-Law No. 13,365 of July 2, 1942, “Which grants to Pan American Airways, Inc. the use of the Government property located at Campo Grande, etc.;” and particularly to the second Article of that Decree Law which reads as follows:
“Art. 2nd. Pan American Airways, Inc. shall be obligated to erect on the said property, in addition to the constructions already installed by it, those necessary for converting the said field into a modern airport, capable of handling the traffic of modern and heavy commercial aircraft, even during the rainy season, and likewise for night traffic. These constructions will consist principally of the following: Leveling and drainage of the land; construction of hard surface runways in the direction of the two predominating winds; storage installations and facilities for refueling; illumination of the field, so as to permit of night landing, and the construction and improvement of the buildings according to the requirements of the air traffic, such as the passenger station, radio-communication building, storage facilities, shops, etc., when and as the increased volume of the services require,”
In the first place, with reference to the provision that hard surface runways be constructed “in the direction of the two predominating winds,” Mr. Dwyer advanced the contention that these two winds are [Page 684] both almost north and south, corresponding roughly with the direction of the main runway now under construction, so that the transverse runway as shown in the plans on which the negotiations with the Paraguayan Government were based need not be constructed under the terms of the paragraph above cited. The plans which figured throughout the negotiations with the Paraguayan Government over a period of almost a year were prepared by the Airport Development Program, the final blue-print having been certified by it under date of May 1, 1942. They included a “wind flower” indicating (1) a north-south wind with a spread of approximately 22° and (2) a second predominating wind running from west-northwest and to east-southeast, about 80° removed from the north-south wind, also having a spread of 15° to 20°.
It was on this second predominating wind that the necessity for the transverse runway, which ADP was then anxious to secure, was based in the negotiations. The frequency of this wind is much less than that of the north-south wind in a ratio of approximately 1 to 5; but it was explained to the Paraguayan Government by the Airport Program engineers and the Pan American Airways representative here that modern air traffic would necessitate the transverse runway in order to prevent the paralysis of the airport during one-sixth of the year. This explanation was also made by myself and the Military Attaché, at the request of the ADP representatives, to the President of Paraguay and to the Minister of War and Chief of Staff.
There can be no question but that the construction of the east-west runway was authoritatively declared to be necessary by and on behalf of the representatives of the Airport Development Program and the Pan American Airways; and that the Decree-Law was issued by President Morínigo on the basis of these representations. The Paraguayan authorities suggested that the north-south runway be deflected, and that the east-west runway likewise be deflected, in order to obviate the necessity of condemning land pertaining to the Cavalry Unit contiguous to the airfield. If the ADP had not represented the transverse runway as necessary the difficulties which consequently supervened with the Cavalry, and which had international repercussions, would have been greatly attenuated; but the ADP, acting under instructions from Miami, took the attitude that the two runways must be built as shown in the plan certified May 1, 1942. It would appear that the present contention of the ADP representative here, Mr. Dwyer, is based upon new plans recently drawn up at Miami which instead of showing the prevailing north-south wind as a single wind with a spread of 22° show it as two winds 22° apart. (Obviously no two such “predominating” winds could exist so close together.)
[Page 685]As the Paraguayan Government will feel that its good faith has been abused if the two runways are not constructed in accordance with the plan and explanations presented to them, it may be suggested that the Department consult the ADP plan of May 1, 1942 and seek a technical explanation of the “wind flower” shown thereon. The question might be studied as to why the north-south wind should be represented as a single wind with a spread of 22° if in fact it consists of two winds 22° apart. The question also presents itself of why the “wind flower” showed a transverse wind predominating during 16 percent of the year, if such a wind did not exist.
In the second place, Mr. Dwyer, acting presumably under instructions, called attention to the last phrase of Article 2 above quoted, consisting of the words “when and as the increased volume of the services require.” The Paraguayan Government and the Embassy understood, and still understand, that this phrase applies to the illumination of the field and the construction and improvement of buildings according to the requirements of the air traffic; but Mr. Dwyer advances the interpretation that it applies to all the construction work of the entire project. The Department may be interested in securing from its Legal Adviser a juridical interpretation of the language in question, or in otherwise reaching a view with regard to the extent of the applicability of the phrase. It is the Embassy’s understanding that the Airport Development Program now wishes to avoid constructing the transverse (east-west) runway on the ground that there has been no “increase in the volume of the service.”
As indicated by my telegram No. 585 of October 28, 11 a.m., the failure by the Airport Development Program to effect the construction in accordance with the representations which it made, and which it requested myself and the Military Attaché to make, based on the plan which it submitted, would be interpreted by the Paraguayan Government as an attempt to evade obligations formally assumed. The matter has not yet been raised, either by the Embassy or the Airport Development Program, with the authorities here, in view of my hope that the Department may be able to effect an adjustment at Washington; but there is every reason to feel that an abandonment of the east-west runway, which cost the Government here great and protracted difficulties with the Armed Forces, would create an extremely adverse impression.
The airport question here was for two years universally regarded as the principal point on which Paraguay’s cooperation with the United Nations turned. It was discussed not only throughout the various elements of the Government but also by the general public, and indeed by every man, woman and child in Paraguay. After the Government at length adopted a firm and resolute policy in accepting the proposals [Page 686] of the Airport Development Program, and forced the Army to accept them, the airport became a principal symbol of Paraguay’s determination to cooperate with the United States and the Allied nations. President Morínigo and his entire Cabinet officially assisted at the inauguration ceremonies last May and were again shown by the Airport Development Project representatives the plans, including the transverse runway. On the journey of the President, the Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister, with their suite, to the United States in June, and to eight Latin American republics in July, they visited modern airports at many places; and expressed to me and to other members of the Embassy staff their satisfaction that a modern and complete airport was to be constructed in Asunción,—feeling that the difficult decision which they had reached and enforced would be justified by the endowment of Asunción with such an airport. If the Airport Development Program, or the United States Engineering Department, should now do otherwise than comply with what are definitely regarded by Paraguay (and by the Embassy) as definite obligations, the political effect here would be most disadvantageous, and the results would hang over Paraguayan-American relations like a pall for a long time to come. Incidentally, Argentina would certainly capitalize the resulting situation.
Respectfully yours,