825.24/473
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)
The Secretary of State refers to the Ambassador’s telegram no. 756 dated 2 p.m., May 18, 1942, regarding a letter dated May 12, addressed by the President of the Chilean Inter-American Development Committee to Mr. Nelson Rockefeller as President of the Inter-American Development Commission concerning difficulties in carrying out the program for the economic development of Chile, which was published in the Chilean press.
While the reply by Mr. Rockefeller, in his capacity as President of the Commission referred to, will be made the subject of a separate instruction, it may be pointed out that export statistics for the first quarter of 1942 show that the United States has shipped to Chile goods valued at $12,511,990 as compared with shipments during the first quarter of 1941 totalling $10,666,747. As indicated by these statistics, the United States has taken extraordinary measures to cooperate with Chile by providing essential materials to prevent deterioration of the Chilean national economy, despite the fact that this cooperation has necessitated the diversion of important quantities of both labor and materials which could otherwise have been utilized in the war effort of the United States and its co-belligerents.
The Ambassador is authorized to use this information in any way that he may consider appropriate. These statistics are being made available to the press.