FALKLAND ISLANDS IN THE NEWS AGAIN.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000800090017-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: January 4, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/03: CIA-KDP08C01297R000800090017-9
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FOREIGN SERVICE DESPATCH.'
FROM I:WIPP ? 4144.
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SUBJECTP ALKLANH-ISLANDS IN THE
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. WASHINGTON.
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NEWS AGAIN:
January 2 being the 119th anniversary .of the date on
which Great Britain occupied the Falkland Islands,, the .
controversy over their rizhtful ownership broke out again
in several administration newspapers. A sample article is
that which apFeared in El Lider,, a translation of.which is
attached. The same arguments are advanced, nothing new
having beeeadded, the Argentine thesis being Simply that
the Islands rightfully belong to Argentina' and that Great
Britain seised them by force.
It' may be --added' that se'veral 'weeks age,' the Institute
of JusticiaIist 'Studies a. new organization, created' by' the
Argentine. Association ,of Authorsi: sent zt 'telegram: to Peron
proposing that he name a:governon-in-exile for the
Falklands--this presumably for the purpose of keeping the
home fires, burning. toe
The political, officers or the British Embassy are no
greatly d4S,turhed, by these -fiere-uPs in the .Press.,..49t as
disturbed as. they might be, in the oPiPlOh of the Writer.
They have doubtless noted, however? that Argentina's
ability to retake the Islands has been increased by her
recent acquisition of two cruisers from the United States.
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Fortunately,' nothing' has yet appeared' abont the
Unimportant' role 'which the United -Stateb played- in the, ,
matter -in :102. It would not be. surprising, however,' if the
day should come when Argentina would wake up to the possi-
bilities .which 'this, offers her to berate us.
John C. Pool
Fi Secretary of Embassy
Enclosure:
Translation of article from El Lider.
Copy to ARA, RPA.
JCPool/jar '
REPORTER (S)
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/03: CIA-RDP08C01297R000800090017-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/03: CIA-RDP08C01297R000800090017-9
Desp. -No 1 UNCLASSIFIED End No
From (Classification) Desp. No.
FmmJhunlos_Airaa____
El Lider
"MD
OUR FALKLANDS
January 3, 1952
One of the most unpleasant episodes of history WAS remember..
ed by the Argentine people yesterday: The seizure of the
Falkland Islands by British armed forces. The date has been
recalled in order to reaffirm Argentine sovereignty over the
territory of the archipelago wrested from our country by force.
On January 2, 1833, British warships which a few days before had
been plundering the region, landed at Puerto Luis where stood
the Argentine sloop of war Samna, which, under JosA Maria
Pinedo,s command, had gone to transport the then acting
Governor of the Islands. The British informed the Argentine
officer of their intention to take possession of those lands in
the name of His Britannic Majesty, and notified him that he
should strike the Argentine colors and depart within 24 hours.
The Argentine officer refused to lower the national flag
proudly flying on the mast, but being outnumbered by the British
force, he found it necessary to head for Buenos Aires after
protesting against this outrageous act, but not before resort-
ing to the right of legitimate defense. Since then the Argen-
tine governments have taken note of the assault, demanding
unsuccessfully the return to the Republic of a territory which
is truly a part of our country by reason of its geographic
situation, of its historic antecedents and of the principles
of international law. A simple outline of the facts throws full
light on the provocative aspect of the plunder of which Argen-
tina was a victim, such an act being all the more condemnable
because it was committed by a powerful country which for more
than a century pretended to be the champion of the indepen-
dence and sovereignty of nations.
Not only Argentina but the whole of America, which did not
admit unredeemed regions on the Continent, feel offended by the
usurpation of which our country has been the victim, and which
is injurious to the dignity of free nations and is therefore a
veritable insult in the light of international laws seeing the
stubbornness with which the British Government refuses to
return what rightfully belongs to us, basing its attitude on,
the argument, now null and void, of de facto poeseseion? a
reason which is all the more contemptible in view of the fact
that the origin of such possession lies in force. The same
argument might serve in the future to reverse the Situation
merely by resorting to a similar procedure, this time support-
ed by the force of right. This solution is presumably not
expected by the usurpers, particularly if it considered that
circumstances are hardly favorable to them.
UNCLASSIFIED
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/03: CIA-RDP08C01297R000800090017-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/03 : CIA-RDP08C0-1-297R000800090017:1
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re)
Desp. No _1064
E11AL_
From Buenos Aires
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Desp. No
Frptm
assuicaiion
In days gone by, when Argentina lived in the sad condition
of a semi-colony, British imperialism was able to maintain by
itself its forceful possession of the F alkland Islands,
relying therefore on the complicity of a mercenary and corrupt.
ed oligarchy; but this situation cannot continue much longer
in the period of Peronist Justicialism, whose mission is to
raise our country to the rank of a just, free and sovereign
nation. The strategic motives which caused the British
Empire to maintain bases for its South Atlantic Fleet no longer
exist. The Argentine people are quite competent to defend the
integrity of their territory and, rightly indignant as they feel,
they reject a sort of tutelage tantamount to an insult to their
nationalist feelings. Nothing nor anyone will ever succeed in
clearing away the injustice involved in the case of the Falklands.
Explanations are superfluous. That territory, we repeat, is
Argentine by tradition because, until the date of its occupation
by the British navy, it formed a part of our country, which
exercised jurisdiction over it. Geographically, the Falklands
are situated on the Atlantic platform pertaining to Argentina.
Historically, the Falklands have been Argentine since the
Spanish period. The seizure thereof was achieved solely
through an act of piracy which cannot be admitted in International
Law.
UNCLASSIVDT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/03: CIA-RDP08C01297R000800090017-9