611.5231/1235½
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to President Roosevelt
My Dear Mr. President: In view of the authorization which you gave me at Cabinet meeting on March 20 to go ahead without further [Page 285] delay in carrying out our proposed economic arrangements with Spain, I am enclosing herewith a memorandum covering this subject.39
The purpose of the attached memorandum is to set out the essentials of the prospective program of interchange of commodities between Spain and the United States with a view to making certain that it meets with your approval.40
The program outlined in this memorandum is regarded as a ninety-day operating program, during which period we expect to be able to ascertain whether it would prove possible to secure any significant amounts of Spanish products we desire to obtain.
The execution of this program is being most intensively urged by the British Government. The British Government has informed us that it regards the execution of this program as being of vital importance to its own production effort and to its own political interests.
In so far as the execution of this program by our own Government is concerned many departments and agencies of the United States are necessarily involved. Speaking very frankly, certain subordinate officials of these departments and agencies appear to be opposed to the carrying out by this Government of any program which involves the shipment of commodities from the United States to Spain. It is for that reason that I find it necessary to bring this memorandum to your attention so that, should it meet with your approval, the appropriate departments and agencies can be informed by the Department of State that its execution during this test period is specifically approved and authorized by you.
May I draw your attention particularly to page 9 of the memorandum where it is made clear that the carrying out of this program would be directed by a board of five officials of this Government: three from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, one from the Board of Economic Warfare and one from the Department of State.
I shall appreciate it if you will let me have your decision in this matter.
Believe me [etc.]