811.20 Defense (M)/1438a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Mexico ( Daniels )
101. The Department is preparing a circular36 to all our missions in the American republics regarding the establishment by the American republics of a system of export control over materials imported from the United States by the other American republics and subject to export control by the United States, and strategic materials and materials important in our national defense program and for the general defense of all the American republics which are produced in the other American republics. In this connection an especially difficult situation has arisen with regard to the supply of zinc. There is a shortage of zinc in connection with our national defense program, [Page 404] and commercial contractors as well as the Government of the United States are anxious that all possible supplies of zinc be made available to the United States.
The American Smelting and Refining Company has informed us that it has contracts entered into last July for the delivery of some 3,000 tons of zinc to Japan. With production in progress at the Rosita plant it proposes to furnish this metal to Japan during the next 3 months, shipping to the United States the rest of its production over and above Mexican requirements.
It would be extremely helpful to the United States if the Mexican Government felt it possible to take some action in these circumstances, prior to the full consideration and working out of the system of export control proposed in the Department’s circular instruction.
Please discuss this situation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and report to the Department.
- Dated April 1, vol. vi, p. 151.↩