DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
June 30, 1950
Subject: Argentine Support of U.S. and Ratification of Rio Pact
Participants: The Secretary Acting Assistant Secretary Barber Argentine Ambassador Jerónimo Remorino Argentine Counselor Don Rubén Dussaut ARA/EC - Mr. Clarence E. Birgfeld
Copies to: American Embassy, Buenos Aires 2 - S/S ARA
Ambassador Remorino stated that he had been instructed by his Government to present orally and in writing to the Secretary a statement of the decided support of the Argentine Government for the actions taken under the present circumstances by the Government of the US, and for the decisions which motivated those actions. The Ambassador added that it was in addition a personal pleasure for him to inform the Secretary that the Argentine Congress had ratified the Rio Pact on June 28, 1950. In addition to the above two points, which were included in a note delivered to the Secretary, the Ambassador said that he wished to express orally a message from Perón extending his best personal wishes for the Secretary and President Truman.
The Secretary thanked the Ambassador very much for his expressions on these three subjects. The Secretary stated that he was gratified to know of the ratification of the Rio Pact, this action being important and significant from the point of view of Hemispheric security. The Secretary said that he was also pleased with the other two messages, and would transmit the third one of them to President Truman.
Following the above interview, Ambassador Remorino met the press in the Secretary\'s anteroom and gave the press nearly verbatim from memory the text of his note. The Ambassador did not mention to the press the personal wishes from Perón which he had extended to the Secretary and to President Truman. The Ambassador was asked what type of support Argentina contemplated under the circumstances, and replied that he had received no instructions other than those previously mentioned. In response to a query, the Ambassador stated that the ratification of the Rio Pact by the Argentine Congress did not need the signature of the Argentine President. He added that under Argentine Law the President has nine days in which to veto Congressional Acts but that obviously there is no question of such a veto in this case. In response to a third and final question, the Ambassador stated that instruments of ratification would be deposited in due course with the Pan-American Union.
ARA/EC:CEBirgfeld:rjm