820.7961 Dept. of Commerce Flight/20: Telegram

The Ambassador in Chile (Collier) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]

50. Lieutenants Doolittle and Wade,92 and other American airplane representatives here are of the opinion that their difficulties in obtaining orders are due to a belief of the Government of Chile that in case Chile becomes involved in war the United States will prevent subsequent deliveries either because of sympathy for Bolivia and Peru or because of its determination to permit no war in South America, especially if related to the Tacna-Arica dispute,93 or because the [Page 814] United States may rule that airplanes are in the same category as armed ships and may not be outfitted in the territory of neutrals.… Has the Department any suggestions to meet the situation? Chilean agents of certain American arms manufacturers also feel that the first two reasons cause the Government of Chile to hesitate giving contracts to them.

Collier
  1. Lt. Leigh Wade, representative of the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation of Buffalo, N. Y., who, with J. W. Mussen of the same company, sailed in January 1928, to Peru to demonstrate their company’s products in that and other South American countries.

    In instructions to the American missions in Chile, Feb. 29, 1928, and in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, Mar. 1, 1928, the American representatives were directed to accord appropriate assistance and to request free entry and clearance for the Consolidated airplane. In telegram No. 15, Feb. 29, 1928, the American representative in Peru was instructed to obtain a refund of the customs charges paid when the Consolidated airplane entered Peru. (File No. 811.79620 Consolidated Aircraft Corp.)

  2. See pp. 660 ff.