THE UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE                 
 
                            WASHINGTON                      
 
                        November 28, 1944                   
 
                   MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT             
 
                                                            
 
 
  Subject: Reply to the Prime Minister on Argentine Meat.   
 
                                                            
 
 
I hand you herewith a suggested reply to the Prime Minister's 
      message informing us of the British decision to continue purchases 
     of Argentine meat on a spot basis for another six month
 
                                                            
 
 
We believe that there is nothing to be gained by pointing 
      out to the Prime Minister that the gradual stiffening of our 
      requests in this matter was prompted by our growing concern with 
      the military-Fascist character of the Farrell regime, and by 
      evidence that the regime would make propaganda and political 
            capital out of the signing of a contract.       
 
                                                            
 
 
As pointed out in the second paragraph of the proposed reply, 
      we find that the Prime Minister mistakenly interpreted the Embassy's 
      communication of November 20 as referring to the negotiations 
      on the meat contract. The Embassy, on instructions from the Department, 
      was in fact trying to stimulate an answer to our inquiries of 
      August and September on the general subject of British trade 
      with Argentina--inquiries, incidentally, to which we have yet 
                       to receive a reply.                  
 
      I am entirely confident, however, that we can straighten these 
      matters out without troubling you further. The net result of 
    the British action on the meat contract is all to the go
 
                                                            
 
 
E.R. Stettinius