Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, The American Republics, Volume V

710.Dev.Com./57a

The Secretary of State to Certain American Diplomatic Officers¹⁰

Washington, November 29, 1940.

Sirs: The Inter-American Development Commission on November 25, 1940 adopted resolutions constituting two members of the Commission, Mr. J. Rafael Oreamuno and Mr. G. W. Magalhaes, a mission to South America for the purpose of setting up the advisory committees in each of the South American countries called for under Resolution XIII of the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee which created the Inter-American Development Commission. The members of this mission will arrive in Rio de Janeiro, December 11 by steamship and will subsequently visit the capitals of all of the South American republics. There are enclosed copies of the minutes of the meeting of the Inter-American Development Commission of November 25, and of an article describing the Development Commission by its Executive Secretary, Mr. John C. McClintock.¹¹ The Development Commission has agreed that the representatives of the Commission will visit Asuncion, La Paz and Quito in addition to the capitals mentioned in the Resolution.

Please extend to the representatives of the Inter-American Development Commission all appropriate assistance which will help them in consummating the purpose of their trip. The Development Commission has also requested that the missions prepare lists of leading citizens of the respective countries who might serve on the country advisory committees to be established by Messrs. Oreamuno and Magalhaes. It is the thought of the Development Commission that the country advisory committees should consist of five members selected from leading industrialists, merchants, bankers and professional men.

Information regarding the proposed visit to the nations of South America of the representatives of the Development Commission has been brought to the attention of the members of the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee and the chiefs of the missions in Washington of the South American republics.¹²

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:

Sumner Welles

10. This circular instruction was sent to the American representatives in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela, at the request of Nelson A. Rockefeller, Chairman of the Inter-American Development Commission.
11. Neither printed.
12. See Department of State Bulletin, November 30, 1940, pp. 464–465.