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

837.51 Public Works Debt/313

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Cuba (Messersmith)

No. 137

[Washington,] July 2, 1940.

Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of your despatch no. 467 of June 24, 1940³⁰ with regard to President Laredo Brú’s message to the Cuban Congress urging the settlement of “the rest of the obligations originating in the public works program”.

You are authorized in your discretion to state to the appropriate officials of the Cuban Government that the Department hopes that this matter will be settled on the basis of the agreement reached between the Cuban Government and the creditors in November 1938,³¹ which agreement was incorporated in a bill introduced into the Cuban Senate by Senator Casanova in the same month. You will wish to stress the fact that the debt owed to the firm of Purdy and Henderson was included in this settlement. It is the Department’s view that the agreement in question now constitutes a clearly recognized obligation of the Cuban Government to the creditors in question and that there would be no justification for any further investigation or review of the claims.

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:

Sumner Welles

30. Not printed.
31. See Foreign Relations, 1938, vol. v, pp. 472 ff.