811.20 Defense (M) Argentina/163: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina (Armour)
552. Your 565, March 27, 6 p.m.13 Department and Metals Reserve Company desire to break present deadlock on beryl ore which is urgently needed by defense industries in this country. You are accordingly requested to approach the appropriate official of the Argentine Government and request that the embargo on exports be lifted in order that a purchase contract for the ore may be negotiated here with Hochschild.14
As you know, Metals Reserve Company greatly prefers to purchase ore rather than the oxide, which is an expensive and inefficient method of acquiring beryl. If necessary, however, Metals Reserve might consider making effective the contract already signed for beryllium oxide with Saba15 provided the Argentine Government grants export licenses for accumulated stocks of beryl ore and a minimum of say 1,000 tons of beryl ore is made available annually. In discussing this matter with the Argentine authorities, you are requested to stress the fact that any oxide carbonate taken will be a sacrifice undergone only because of the great need for beryl ore.
- Not printed.↩
- Mauricio Hochschild, S. A. M. I., dealers in lead, zinc, tungsten, and other ores in a number of Latin American countries.↩
- Sociedad Anónima Berilo Argentina; its Board of Directors appears to have been under the control of the head of the Argentine Government’s Military Factories, Col. Manuel N. Savio.↩