812.24/2716
The Ambassador in Mexico (Messersmith) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 21.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s airgram A–2035, July 2, 3 p.m., 1943,96 stating that the Board of Economic Warfare had requested that certificates of necessity be issued for all materials under estimate of supply for the second quarter, in spite of the recommendation conveyed in the Embassy’s A–1490 of June 25.96 The Board of Economic Warfare stated that the lists of approvals by the Imports Coordination Committee97 did not suffice, as they did not contain the names of the suppliers. This information is likewise not contained in the certificates of necessity. It is noted, however, that the Board of Economic Warfare states that it cannot correlate the lists submitted by the Embassy with the appropriate export license applications. This apparently constitutes an unsurmountable obstacle to the carrying out of the Embassy’s recommendation that the issuance of actual certificates of necessity for certain products be dispensed with. Consequently, the matter has been reopened with the Imports Coordination Committee. That Committee had received on June 29 a communication from Mr. Amador,98 who was in Washington with [Page 251] the Mexican-American Commission for Economic Cooperation,99 stating that certificates of necessity would be required for all products under estimate of supply in the second quarter. The Committee continued, however, to operate along the lines of the Embassy’s airgram A–1490 until the Embassy received the Department’s airgram A–2035 one week later.
The Imports Coordination Committee is now proceeding to issue certificates of necessity for the remaining products under estimate of supply for the second quarter. It has been pointed out to the Imports Coordination Committee that, since all certificates of necessity will expire on August 31, 1943, it is essential that the second quarter certificates be issued at the earliest possible moment. The second quarter certificates issued after June 30, 1943 are to bear the date of June 30, 1943. The Counselor of Embassy for Economic Affairs has been assured by the President of the Imports Coordination Committee that extra clerical assistance will be obtained for this purpose, and it is hoped that all second quarter certificates of necessity will be issued by July 31. It is also expected that all fourth quarter iron and steel export recommendations will be issued before July 31. The Imports Coordination Committee furthermore expects to have the third quarter export recommendations issued by August 15 or shortly thereafter. For the reasons given in the Embassy’s airgram A–1490, and from past experience, the Embassy is inclined to believe that this cannot be done. However, every effort will be made to hasten action by the Imports Coordination Committee and to expedite the Embassy’s own handling of these cases.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy for Economic Affairs