740.31112A/9–1045
The Ambassador in Venezuela (Corrigan) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 17.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that, in the course of a conversation devoted primarily to other subjects, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gustavo Herrera, this morning brought up the question of the present status of the Proclaimed List in Venezuela.
Dr. Herrera remarked that there were several types of Germans who had been in business in Venezuela. There were ardent Nazis; so far as these were concerned he felt that any measures taken were justified. There were also Germans who, through patriotism or opportunism, had identified themselves as being in greater or lesser measure sympathetic with the Hitler regime; he had no brief for these either. However, he felt that there were some Germans who had behaved them selves, had become thoroughly useful residents of Venezuela and had, in some cases, acquired Venezuelan nationality by naturalization or birth here of German parents. Among these, he thought, with the end of the War, there would be found some who should be deleted from the Proclaimed List.
I replied to Dr. Herrera that I did not believe that the present was an opportune time to go into the matter as a longer period would have to elapse before a permanent policy on these matters could be advantageously applied to individual cases of the sort in which he had expressed an interest. The Foreign Minister did not mention any specific individuals or firms in his remarks but it is my impression that he probably had in mind some of the remaining spearhead firms in Venezuela which were the subject of the conversation between Dr. Alfonso Espinosa and members of the Embassy staff covered by my despatch No. 7563 of August 7, 1945.84 Considerable pressure is obviously being brought on members of the Venezuelan Cabinet by parties interested in these cases and local political considerations are involved.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩