I attach a copy of a letter &dagger received from Mr. Elliott¹ in Santiago wherein he reports that during the course of a recent conversation with the Chilean Foreign Minister the latter expressed the wish that in some early speech you include a state¬ment to the effect that Canada hopes that democracy will be maintained and sup¬ported whenever and wherever possible within the Western Hemisphere.

2. The motives for the Minister's request stem from Chile's concern over the supposed activities of Argentine agents in fomenting internal troubles in countries bordering on Chile and in Chile itself. You will recall that last fall Chile openly accused Argentina of being responsible for organizing a plot to overthrow the Pres¬ident of Chile. A short time later, the Chilean Foreign Minister asked Mr. Elliott to ascertain whether Canada would be willing to withhold recognition of the Odria Government in Peru until China had done so. On this occasion, the Foreign Minis¬ter stated to Mr. Elliott in confidence that his Government had proof of Argentina's intervention in this instance as well. The Foreign Minister considers that the recent serious troubles in the Bolivian tin mines are attributable to the same source.

3. There can be no doubt of our sympathies being with the Chilean Government in its present difficult position, particularly since it has adopted a firm anti totalitar¬ian policy. I would, however, be reluctant to recommend that you make a public statement which would follow too closely the lines suggested by the Chilean For¬eign Minister. As an alternative suggestion, it might be possible to include in your opening speech to the General Assembly a statement to the effect that Canada, as a signatory of the North Atlantic Treaty, believes that the principles set forth in the preamble and Article II of this Treaty are principles which are shared by all free nations of the world, including the Western Hemisphere. To be more specific would, I think, invite criticism of interfering in the affairs of other nations of the hemisphere; moreover, I do not think that we would wish to identify ourselves too closely with those differences which arise from time to time between Latin Ameri¬can nations, except in those instances where Canadian interests might be directly involved.

4. If you agree,² I attach for your consideration a letter to Mr. Elliott along the above lines. †

A.D.P. H[EENEY]