823.248/240

The Secretary of State to the Peruvian Ambassador (Freyre)

Excellency: I have the honor to refer to my note of October 17, 1941, advising Your Excellency that the War Department had with [Page 513] regret found it necessary, because of urgent defense needs, to requisition certain airplanes which had been purchased by the Peruvian Government and were in transit through the United States to Peru, I am happy to inform Your Excellency that this Government is taking steps to give the Government of Peru full and immediate compensation, in accordance with the usual and established procedure for such cases.

This procedure is established by Executive Order of the President dated October 15, 1940, providing for the administration of the account entitled “Act to Authorize the President to Requisition Certain Articles and Materials for the United States and for Other Purposes”. (Act approved October 10, 1940, Pub. 829, 76th Cong.) Under its provisions the Administrator of Export Control shall “hold or cause to be held whatever hearings that may be necessary to determine the fair and just value of such property, at which hearings the owner of the property, his duly authorized agent or representative, or other persons claiming an interest therein, may prepare evidence orally or in writing regarding the fair and just value of the article or material requisitioned and taken over. Upon conclusion of such hearings the Administrator of Export Control shall report to the President his findings and recommendations in regard thereto”.

Accept [etc.]

Cordell Hull