824.24/655
The Secretary of State to the Bolivian Ambassador (Guachalla)
Excellency: Reference is made to Your Excellency’s note of December 3, 194242 enclosing a check on the Riggs National Bank of Washington, D. C, drawn to the order of the Treasurer of the United States in payment for defense articles delivered in accordance with the second article of the Lend Lease Agreement signed between the Governments of the United States of America and Bolivia on December 6, 1941.
I am informed that the Office of Lend Lease Administration is in the process of drawing up schedules of deliveries of defense articles made to the various governments and that it is the intention at some future date to submit such schedules to the various governments for [Page 536] their approval and for payment of the sums due for articles actually delivered. Until such schedules are prepared and checked, it will be impossible for my Government to determine how much is owed by your Government under the terms of the Lend Lease Agreement. My Government interprets Article II of the Lend Lease Agreement as only requiring payment by your Government for defense articles which have actually been delivered and I am informed that deliveries to your Government have as yet been of small magnitude compared with the amount of your Government’s check.
Until the schedules referred to above are presented to your Government the Government of the United States does not consider that any amounts are due by your Government under the terms of the Lend Lease Agreement. May I suggest therefore that any payments by your Government await presentation of schedules of articles delivered by my Government, and may I return to you with my Government’s deep appreciation the check enclosed with your note under reference.
Accept [etc.]
- Not printed.↩