816.24/589: Telegram

The Ambassador in El Salvador ( Thurston )13 to the Secretary of State

167. Department’s circular telegram of June 12, 7 p.m.14 El Salvador has never prepared essential and nonessential commodity lists.

Mr. Renwick, President of the Salvadoran Committee of Economic Coordination, is opposed to principle embodied in third paragraph of Current Export Bulletin No. 99.15 He feels strongly that Decentralization Plan with determination of El Salvador’s essential needs by Committee, subject always to review and ultimate decision by this Embassy and BEW, is best safeguard of local economy and holds that licensing without consideration or knowledge of Committee would destroy over-all planned flow of materials and prevent further intelligent economic planning. It is felt that El Salvador, in close cooperation with this Embassy, should be allowed to continue to make its own determination of what is essential to its economy.

Mr. Renwick states that if export licenses are granted on any appreciable scale on the basis of exporters representations of essentiality of material alone and without privilege of prior review by this Embassy or the Committee the confidence of local importers will be destroyed and the basic objectives of Decentralization Plan might ultimately be defeated. He would then recommend to the Salvadoran Government the dissolution of his Committee.

Thurston
  1. The Legation in El Salvador was raised to the status of Embassy on April 16, 1943, when Walter G. Thurston presented his credentials as Ambassador.
  2. Ante, p. 119.
  3. Issued by the Office of Controls of the Board of Economic Warfare; it announced changes in the export control system that appeared to reduce the authority of the Country Agencies.