REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BATLLE BERRES AT CONFERENCE OF DIPLOMATS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002100030004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 1999
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 22, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION a:,C WT `COT:Ti OL/U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
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CO uay/Argentina DATE DISTR. 22 November l948
SUBJECT Remarks by President Batl1a Berres at Conference
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The President of Uruguay recently held a conference with his diplomatic
chiefs of missions in other Latin American countries. On the opening day
of the conference, 28 October, President Luis Batlle Berres addressed the
assembly and presided over the business meeting which followed. On 29
October a banquet was held in honor of the diplomats. A synopsis of the
remarks made by the President follows. Source states that this report is
complete and that no other subjects than these summarized were touched upon.
1. The President began his speech by stating that the conference was not
prompted by reasons of greatest gravity, but rather by a series of circum-
stances requiring a great deal of thought on everyone's part.
2. In the international scenes, Uruguay hears friendly words, but in spite of
this, behind the screen of flattery, Uruguay actually is. often forgotten
and ignored. Batlle Berres told the group that a short time before the
meeting he had received a cable from the Uruguayan delegation to the UN
Assembly in Paris concerning a Latin American bloc formed among Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Peru, and headed by Argentina for
her own exclusive benefit. Uruguay was deliberately excluded from this
group.
3. Analyzing the reasons which the member countries of the Latin American bloc
might have for excluding Uruguay, the President concluded that only Argentina
could have any interest in barring Uruguay. Peron's government is annoyed
with Uruguay because it has been unable to interfere with her economy and
financial affairs. Nor is Uruguay liked for her friendship with the United
States,
Elaborating on Argentina's interest in financial penetration of Uruguay,
Bathe Berres declared that, in spite of the former's proximity, she has
not been able to ruin the latter+s monetary system, and Urugiay's present
situation is far better than Argentina's, As an example of Argentine inten-
tions to intervene in Uruguay's economy, the President revealed that a few
months ago Miguel :Miranda, President of Argentina's National Economic
Council, came to him to propose that Uruguay and Argentina unite to sell
flax for more than the fixed international price. Battle Berres told
Miranda that he could not accept such a proposition since to maintain
prestige in the international market Uruguay had to sell her flax without
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exceeding the present prices., The President added "Ten your President
that I, in my country, punish merchants who violate official price regu-
lations, and I do not wish to put myself in such a position that the world
would have to punish me for selling above international ?xices." Miranda
answered "All right, you have 800 tons of flax which at X price will yield
X pesos. Tomorrow I will bring you a check and buy all your flax." "That
is very interesting," Ba:tile Ferree replied to Miranda, and ended the in-
terview. The President immediately dictated a decree prohibiting the ex-
portation of flax.
5. Battle Berree then returned to.the subject of the Latin American bloc formed
in the UN Assembly. According to reports, the bloc was so tightly organized
that, at first, the Uruguayan delegation thought it beat not to attend any
meetings of the Latin American countries. Fortunately, the attitude pre-
valled that the Uruguayan delegation should open the bloc and penetrate it.
6. Argentine leadership of this bloc would not be so serious ware it not for
the fact that such leadership is far from beneficial to the peace of
America in its obvious lack of democracy and in its denial of the freedoms
of the press, assembly, and speech. Observing the general situation in
America, Battle Berres pointed out, the individual's concern should increase,
for it seems that democracy in Uruguay bothers non-democratic countries; it
is like the one pretty girl, in a group of homely ones, who suddenly becomes
undesirable.
7. The danger existing in Argentina becomes more and more evident in articles
of that country's government press and in the statements of various impor-
tant Peronistas. In a lecture before students of the University of Buenos
Aires recently,'Dr. Lucio Manuel Moreno Quintana, Professor of International
law at the University and former Sub-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, declared:
"The Republic of Argentina should include Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and the
southern part of Brazil; that is to say, the old 'Virreinatos of the Rio de
is Plata. The day when we reconquer these territories will be a glorious
one for all Argentines. Our greatest desire should be to regain that which
belongs to us. If the United States wants to be the boas of the North, we
will 16e the boss of the South."
8. The President recalled an article published by the Herrerista Senator,
Victor Haedo, in an ultra-nationalist Argentine magazine, which asserted
that South America should be divided into three groups: Greater Colombia
("La Gran Colombia"), to include Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru;
Brazil; and Argentina, to include Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay.
9. The President warned the attending diplomats to use the long-distance tele-
phone as little as possible, explaining that the telephone lines run through
Argentina, who is always greatly interested in listening in on anything con-
cerning Uruguay? He further cautioned the chiefs of mission to be or guard
with respect to the news, agency ANA (Aeencia Noticiosa Argentina), which the
Argentine Government, with great effort, is setting up in every country in
the world and especially in South America. The motto of this agency is "La
Argentina pare el mundo y el mundo pare la Argentina". The President advised
the ministers to use the United.Press or the Associated Press news services,
neither of which are in the pay of the Argentine Government.
10. Battle Berres contended that the Argentine diplomats pa for reports in for-
eign newspapers, and that in Bogota the local papers spoke more about the
Argentine delegation than about their own Colombian delegation. The President
was supported in this contention by Nelson Garcia Serrato, Uruguayan Minister
to Portugal, and Ramon Pins Coelho, Uzuguayan Minister to Colombia, the
latter of whom referred to the traveling Argentine "Embassies" --- some as
ridiculous as the &:ba3ada del Tango --- now covering the world and spreading
Peronista and anti-U.S. propaganda.
11. Touching only lightly on the subject of Communism, Battle Berres said that
the fight against Comrurdsm was being waged by the various governments of
America not only as a matter of principle, but as a result of customs and the
manner in Which each individual government' handles its internal affairs.
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He pointed out that Chile, Brazil' and other countries can take drastic
action without being affected by protests on the part of the people, and
without consulting the people, for these governments have unions of parties
which support there in the anti-Calrriiniet strugae. In Uruguay, however,
this type of action is not possible, since the most conservative elements
are those who would oppose the Golrernment if it should take violent action
against Communism. The President added that if he were to take such measures
against Communism, he would not even be sure of the support of members of his
own party.
12, In closinb, the President advised his chiefs of missions to speak out without
alarm, but nevertheless clearly, about the Argentine-directed bloc in the UN.
He directed his representatives to make every effort to create a favorable
atmosphere for the incorporation of Uruguay into this bloc.
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