February 16, 1950
Subject: Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities for Members of the Council of the Organization of American States
Participants: The Secretary Ambassador Quintanilla, Chairman of the COAS Ambassador Sevilla Sacasa, Representative of Nicaragua on the COAS Ambassador Luis Boettner, Representative of Paraguay on the COAS Señor Gomez Robledo, Mexican Delegation to the COAS Señor Andrés Fenochio, Mexican Delegation to the COAS Mr. Dreier - AR
Copies to: ARA, Ambassador Daniels, MID, EC, H
Ambassador Quintanilla and his two colleagues on the COAS called in fulfillment of the instructions given by the COAS at its meeting on February 7.
Ambassador Quintanilla conveyed to me the good wishes of the COAS and referred to the efforts of that body to promote inter-American solidarity and support the general aims of the United States. He then read, and handed to me, a memorandum summarizing the problem concerning diplomatic privileges and immunities for the special representatives on the COAS.
I expressed my pleasure at seeing the visitors and said I was very much interested in having the necessary legislation adopted by Congress to permit the extension of the privileges and immunities referred to. I spoke of having recommended legislation to the Congress and of having spoken with the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I then said I was most happy to have this call from the members of the Council and the memorandum, which outlined their concern over the failure of this Government to act. The memorandum, I suggested, would be of help in impressing upon the Congress the need for action.
I said that in all my discussions with members of Congress I had encountered no opposition to the proposal, but merely inertia in the face of many other pressing items of business. I asked Ambassador Quintanilla to inform the Council of my efforts and to express my confidence that necessary action would be taken in time.
ARA:AR:JCDreier:mmb