EMBASSY OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC Washington, March 28, 1945 U. P. No.
10
MR. DIRECTOR GENERAL:
With reference to the communication of His Excellency,
Señor Don Ezequiel Padilla, President of the Inter-American Conference
on Problems of War and Peace, received through the Pan American Union
with a note of the Director General dated March 14, I am pleased to
inform you
First: That the Government of the Argentine Republic
accepts the invitation extended to it by the twenty American Republics
that participated in the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War
and Peace, and adheres to the Final Act of the Conference;
Second: That in order to identify the policy of the
Nation with the common policy of the other American nations and associate
itself with them against threats or acts of aggression of any country
against an American State, the Government of the Nation yesterday declared
a state of war between the Argentine Republic on the one hand and the
Empire of Japan and Germany on the other;
Third: That in accordance with the position adopted,
there shall be taken immediately all emergency measures incident to
the state of belligerency, as well as those that may be necessary to
prevent and repress activities that may endanger the war effort of the
United Nations or threaten the peace, welfare or security of the American
Nations.
For appropriate action I transmit herewith the text
of the decree issued by the Executive Power which pertains to the above-mentioned
measures.
I beg to remain, Mr. Director General, with assurances
of my highest consideration.
RODOLFO GARCÍA ARIAS
[Enclosure]
Decree No. 6945/45
Buenos Aires, March 27, 1945
In view of the communication of the Director General
of the Pan American Union enclosing a copy of the Final Act of the Inter-American
Conference on Problems of War and Peace held at Mexico City, and a certified
copy of Resolution LIX, approved March 7, 1945, by the twenty American
States that participated in the aforementioned Conference, and considering:
That Article 6 of said resolution referring to our
country, states that the Final Act is open to the adherence of the Argentine
Republic and authorizes the President of the Conference so to inform
the Government of the Argentine Republic through the Pan American Union;
That said resolution recognizes that the unity of
the peoples of America is indivisible, and rightly affirms that the
Argentine Republic is and always has been an integral part of the Union
of the American Republics, and that it likewise considers that complete
solidarity and a common policy among the American States in the event
of threats or acts of aggression by any State against an American State
are essential to the peace and security of the Continent;
That the Government of the Republic, pursuant to the
established foreign policy of the Argentine Republic, reaffirmed its
opposition to aggression and its solidarity with its sister nations
by means of the declarations of the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Worship on March 7 of the present year, in which he referred especially
to previous declarations of this Government based on Argentine tradition
and policy;
That the preamble of the Act of Chapultepec and the
principles it enumerates as incorporated in the international law of
our Continent since 1890, have at all times guided the foreign policy
of the Nation and coincide with the principles of Argentine international
policy;
That the Argentine Republic has always collaborated
with the American States in all action tending to unite the peoples
of the Continent; that this traditional policy of generations of Argentines
from the early days of our independence has been inspired by a sentiment
of true and effective Americanism, a consequence of the injunctions
of the noble principles that have always regulated our international
life, manifested and proclaimed by the Argentine Republic in Pan American
conferences, incorporated in numerous laws, reflected in the work of
the Pan American Union, and put into effect with disinterested effort;
That in view of the unanimous gesture of the sister
nations that attended the Mexico City Conference, the Government of
the Nation, animated by the highest ideals of Continental solidarity,
the guiding principle of our international policy, cannot remain indifferent,
in view of the elevated spirit of American confraternity;
That Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor,
as was recognized officially by the Argentine Government in a decree
of December 9, 1941, declaring the United States, upon which Germany
later declared war, a non-belligerent; that new aggressions on the part
of Japan against any American nation are not impossible; that neighboring
and friendly countries are now in a state of belligerency with the Empire
of Japan and thus exposed to possible attack by the latter;
That in view of this situation, and new events that
have occurred, the Government of the Nation, pursuant to its tradition
of American solidarity, proposes once again to unify its policy with
the common policy of the other States of the Continent in order to occupy
the place that corresponds to it and to share the responsibilities that
may devolve upon it;
That the Government of the Nation accepts and finds
itself prepared to put into effect the principles, declarations and
recommendations of the Mexico City Conference; that the provisions of
Article 67, Section 21, and Article 86, Section 18, of the National
Constitution and the decisions of the Supreme Court of the Nation authorize
the taking of the measures consequent upon the acceptance by the Government
of the Republic of the invitation of our sister nations; that in order
to adopt such measures the Executive Power in the present circumstances
considered it desirable to consult public opinion that would assure
a knowledge of the popular will;
The President of the Argentine Nation, in a General Agreement with
the Ministers, Decrees:
Article 1. The Government of the Nation accepts the
invitation extended by the twenty American Republics participating in
the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace, and adheres
to the Final Act of that Conference.
Article 2. In order to identify the policy of the
Nation with that of the other American Republics and associate itself
with them against threats or acts of aggression of any country against
an American State, there is declared a state of war between the Argentine
Republic on the one hand and the Empire of Japan on the other.
Article 3. There is likewise declared a state of war
between the Argentine Republic and Germany, in view of the fact that
the latter is an ally of Japan.
Article 4. Through the respective Ministers and Government
Departments, there shall be adopted immediately the measures necessary
for a state of belligerency, as well as those required to put to a definite
end, all activity of persons, firms and enterprises of whatever nationality,
that might endanger the security of the State or interfere with the
war effort of the United Nations or threaten the peace, welfare, and
security of the American Nations.
Article 5. This decree shall be communicated, published,
listed in the National Register, and filed.
(Signed) EDELMIRO J. FARRELL
(Countersigned) CÉSAR AMEGHINO
ALBERTO TEISAIRE
JUAN D. PERON
AMARO AVALOS
JUAN PISTARINI
BARTOLOMÉ DE LA COEINA
JULIO C. CHECCHI