800.6363/446
The Mexican Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy in Mexico1
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs greets most cordially the Embassy of the United States of America in this capital, and has the [Page 174] honor to refer to the latter’s memorandum of the 3rd instant,2 informing the Ministry of the creation of the American Tanker Committee, a dependency of the Petroleum Supply Committee for Latin America, and also pointing out that the best manner to secure close cooperation in the production, transportation and distribution of petroleum products would be that the other American Republics would establish national committees for the administration of oil pools.
The matter was submitted to the consideration of the competent authorities, and the Government of Mexico has reached the following conclusions:
As the oil industry of the Republic is managed by one institution, this being of a national character, it is not considered necessary to establish the Committee suggested by the North American Government, for all oil tankers are under the control of “Petróleos Mexicanos”, an organization which is perfectly qualified to make the arrangements considered necessary by the authorities of the United States of America regarding the needs for petroleum, of Mexico, and of the other nations of this Continent as well.
In view of the foregoing, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs kindly asks the Embassy of the United States of America in this capital to notify its Government that Petróleos Mexicanos—which for the practical effects could be considered as the National Committee referred to in the Memorandum of the 3d instant—is willing to cooperate towards the attainment of the ends pursued, and that it considers that these ends can be reached in a more effective manner without the necessity of creating a new organization.
It must be pointed out that the tankers controlled at present by Petróleos Mexicanos are destined to take care of the internal necessities of the country and to relieve, in part, the situation created in the eastern coast of the United States and in several countries of this Continent, by the lack of means of transportation.