Messersmith, G.S., Buenos Aires. To Norman M. Littell, Washington.
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University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
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Copy enclosed with No. 1858. Feeling much better; treatment prescribed by New York doctors very helpful; one of most distressing features of whole problem with respect to Argentina is unhappy publicity appearing in U.S. press; clippings from Washington Post and Washington Star covering articles by John Herling and sent by Littell are good examples; Herling came to Buenos Aires in January with A.F. of L. delegation; he described himself to member of Embassy staff as free lance writer; seems to operate on fringes of labor activity; his article in Washington Post headed "Argentina's new 'hero', Ambassador Messersmith, finds himself in center of organized anti-Braden campaign" is full of misinformation and inaccuracies; his account of the flattering demonstration with which Messersmith was greeted on return from Washington was completely incorrect; was met by President and Mrs. Perón and Foreign Minister as friendly gesture but there was no demonstration; what he says about labor delegation just as inaccurate; article in Evening Star entitled "Perón's Five-Year Plan" somewhat more factual but when he speaks of project being for a combined military and social state, he is projecting his own ideas into plans of Argentine Government; visit of labor delegation most unfortunate; they should never have come; they had poor leadership in person of [Cerafino] Romualdi, and did just about everything wrong including being insulting to Perón; delegates came to Embassy before they left and told their story; Romualdi tried to do most of talking and was very tiresome; they said they would have to report to A.F. of L. that they had not found a free labor movement in the Argentine; told them it would be unfortunate if they reported no free labor movement in Argentina as it would give impression that such was not the case in other American republics; reminded them that labor movement was only in developing stage all over Latin America; Littell mentioned that certain statements of Perón, quoted by Herling, seemed "fairly deadly"; reminds Littell that these quotes are from speeches by Perón before he became President and while there was a military de facto government; Perón's speeches since he became President have been more restrained and constructive; before labor delegation's report was published press agencies carried report that delegation would talk to Spruille Braden before issuing report; report has had wide publicity in Argentine press; whole report blamed on Romualdi and Braden; all this makes solution of problem more difficult both here and at home.