Office of the Historian

811.20 (D) Regulations/9754

Memorandum by the Chief of the Country Program Branch of the Board of Economic Warfare (Wilkinson) to the Assistant Director in Charge of the Office of Exports, Board of Economic Warfare (Lazo)66

Mexico, January 27, 1943.

Subject: Report on Visit to Mexico City

I am delighted to report that Dr. Cunningham67 working with the Mission, has done a remarkable job in laying the groundwork for the immediate institution of the Decentralization Plan in Mexico. We have had a series of discussions with Mr. Lockett68 and his staff with regard to the operational problems in connection with decentralization. I was very pleased to find a real grasp of the problem and a tremendous amount of the basic spade work already done. No difficulties will be encountered by the Mission or the Country Agency69 in making those changes in the Mexican plan necessary to coordinate with Plan “A”.70 A skeleton staff has already been developed, which, I believe, can absorb the impact of the institution of the Decentralization Plan. Mr. Lockett has indicated his pleasure with the personnel which has been furnished to him by BEW71 through the Auxiliary Foreign Service. Apparently they are blending into the work of the Mission in fine shape.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mr. Lockett has advised me that they will be ready to issue the first preference request by February 15. (Reference is made to my [Page 235] airgram of January 27, 1943, copy of which is attached.72) After discussing the general problems with Mr. Lockett I am convinced that we must take real pains to see that detailed information, with regard to war projects which are developed in Washington, are forwarded promptly to the Mission. In many instances the Mission can give us much information with regard to the materials needed to carry out these projects which can be supplied locally. Also, they can contribute by advising us of local inventory information and local substitute materials that may be available. It is apparent that our procedure, which calls for the screening of projects in which the country of destination is primarily interested by the Country Agency and the local Mission in the first instance, will contribute greatly to an intelligent handling of these proposals.

I would like to emphasize the fact that the Mission here seems to me to have a real appreciation of the importance of making the Decentralization Plan work in Mexico and an understanding of the ramifications of this work. Needless to say, I feel very much reassured as to the prospect of success of this work.

H. A. Wilkinson
  1. Transmitted to the Department through the Embassy in Mexico without covering despatch.↩
  2. Charles H. Cunningham, field representative of the Board of Economic Warfare.↩
  3. Thomas H. Lockett, Counselor of Embassy for Economic Affairs.↩
  4. Name applied to the governmental agency in the American Republics that handled import procedural matters.↩
  5. Decentralization Plan A; for an outline of the plan, see circular airgram of January 19, 8 p.m., p. 106.↩
  6. Board of Economic Warfare.↩
  7. Not attached to file copy.↩