Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Ambassador James Bruce, with Attachments
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OCR Page 1 of 10DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
September 30, 1949
Dear Mr. President:
I have read with great interest Ambassador Warren's
letter to you of August 23 regarding Argentina and
Paraguay and I am glad to give you my comments on it.
Ambassador Warren has an intimate knowledge of
the situation in Paraguay and is equipped with the
excellent judgment necessary to interpret accurately
that very involved picture. In no instance does my
opinion vary with his insofar as he represents what
has been transpiring in Paraguay.
With respect to the likelihood that Argentina
may take over Paraguay, I doubt that there is any
likelihood of this happening in the foreseeable future.
That Argentina would eventually attempt to dominate
its northern neighbor under some pretext or other if
there were nothing to restrain her I do not doubt since
geographically and economically Paraguay is a part of
Argentina and there is a considerable sentimental feel-
ing in the latter country that it is its Manifest Destiny
to reconstitute the old Viceroyalty of the River Plate.
However, there are strong preventives. Perhaps the
strongest is the R1o Pact of 1947. President Perón
and Dr. Bramuglia, when he was Foreign Minister, have
both remarked to me that it is obvious that Argentina
could not embark upon a program of aggression in the
face of the Rio Pact and he did not see why other nations
were so worried about this eventuality. I myself believe
the Argentine Government has a healthy respect for the
Pact and that there is little likelihood that that coun-
try will adopt an aggressive course. At the same time
I shall not be surprised to see Argentina strive for
NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
The President
RECORDS
SERVICE"
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