Memorandum on Latin America

for Pan-am 1. spurk Back ground DECLASSIFIED ON LATIN AMERICA The relations between the United States and Latin America are deteriorating rapidly, at least this is the feeling of those who have visited Latin American countries recently, and of a certain number of the prominent Latin American diplomats in Washington. The following basic facts are worth considering: 1. U. S. policy toward Argentina - As a whole, there is a feeling, right or wrong, that we have not handled the Argentine situation in this country to best advantage. It appears essential to find a complete basis of understanding of the Latin point of view, which, undoubtedly, to a large degree sympathizes with Argentina at heart, and to make the Latins understand our position toward Argentina and the reasons for it. 2. There is a widespread feeling in Latin America that the Good- Neighbor Policy is being shelved. They point out that Ambassador Berle dared, in a public address, to interfere with the domestic problems of Brazil. They feel, right or wrong, that since their champion, the late President Roosevelt, passed away, the Good- Neighbor Policy has taken a secondary place in the scheme of international relations, and they point out that neither the President of the United States nor the Secretary of State have made any major pronouncements on Latin America, nor have they stressed the Good-Neighbor Policy. There is a feeling in some quarters that the Good-Neighbor Policy was in expediency on the part of the United States. during the war stress and they feel that we do not realize that continental solidarity is essential from the political, human, and economic point of view of every country in the western hemisphere, including the United States. 3. They point out that the majority of the countries declared war against the Axis immediately after December 7, 1941, not so much because they themselves had grievances against the Axis, but because they wanted to give a positive proof of continental solidarity. They point out that the Big Three have announced that they will negotiate the Peace Treaties which will then be submitted to the so-called smaller countries for acceptance. The political leaders feel that they have lost face because in spite of the fact that they declared war against the Axis and that they furnished the United States with all raw materials and military bases needed, they are not going to be consulted at all on the peace negotiations, but rather are going to be told what to sign. They would have felt much better if a very small committee of the smaller nations were asked to sit at the peace negotiations. One Latin American diplomat pointed out that the United States, in order to regain the friendship of the Latin Americans, has announced that it is ready to form a defensive alliance with the countries of this continent under the terms of the Act of Chapultepec. They point out that it is not military protection they want because the common defense of the country is already taken for granted, and they indicate that there are many other important factors in the Act of Chapultepec which, if put to work and made real, would be of much more interest to the Latin American Republics. and -NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS to SERVICE"