Rómulo Sebastián Naón

Rómulo Sebastián Naón was a Buenos Aires lawyer whose early political activity included the Radical revolts of 1890 and 1893. He subsequently moved away from the party. Appointed minister to the United States in 1910, he became Argentina's first ambassador there when the mission was raised to embassy rank in 1914. ¹

With Brazil's Domício da Gama and Chile's Eduardo Suárez Mujica, Naón offered mediation between Mexico and the United States in 1914. Venustiano Carranza accepted their good offices concerning the international dispute but refused an armistice in his struggle against Victoriano Huerta. The mediators regarded that refusal as incompatible with participation on their proposed terms. ²

At Niagara Falls in June, Naón worked on a formula for negotiations between the Mexican factions. The American delegates reported that his proposal would invite Constitutionalist representatives to meet the Huerta delegates nearby and seek agreement on a provisional government. They objected to wording that might exclude further outside mediation, and the draft was revised. Congress awarded the three diplomats gold medals in March 1915 for their mediation. ^{3, 4}

After his diplomatic service, Naón returned to legal practice and opposed the governments of Hipólito Yrigoyen and Marcelo T. de Alvear. Under President Agustín P. Justo, he briefly served as mayor of Buenos Aires in 1932. ¹