732.61/3–1245
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
The Brazilian Ambassador called on me this morning at my request and, with reference to my talk with Mr. Velloso, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil, and Mr. Martins on March 10, I said that I would be very happy to offer my good offices to initiate conversations in Washington with a view to the resumption of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Soviet Russia. I said that I had looked into precedents and had found that, in the case of Cuba and Uruguay, the Ambassadors of those countries had, on their own initiative, called on the Soviet Ambassador in Washington in order to start the procedure. In the case of Chile, Mr. Stettinius, when Under Secretary of State, had offered his good offices and had arranged for Mr. Gromyko to receive Mr. Mora, the Chilean Ambassador. As a result of that conference, after consultation with Moscow, the Chilean and Russian Ambassadors had exchanged notes establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. I asked Mr. Martins whether the same procedure would be acceptable in this case. Mr. Martins replied that he would be ready to call on the Soviet Ambassador after I had approached the latter but in this case the Brazilian Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Velloso, who is now in Washington, is anxious to talk to the Soviet Ambassador himself and would be glad if such a meeting could be arranged by the State Department. I replied that while I thought there were some disadvantages to holding such a meeting in the State Department itself, I would be very glad, if Mr. Velloso so desired, to invite him and the Brazilian Ambassador, as well as the Soviet Ambassador, Mr. Gromyko, to come to my house informally, where the desired conversation might be held, but that of course I would first have to ascertain the views of Mr. Gromyko with regard to this procedure. Mr. Martins said that it would be quite satisfactory if I were to approach Mr. Gromyko in the hope that such a meeting could be arranged. I said that I would do this as soon as possible and would let the Ambassador know the result.