825.248/324a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)
Sir: There is enclosed for your strictly confidential information a schedule of aircraft for delivery to the Chilean armed forces, as approved on February 3, 1943 by the Munitions Assignments Board (Air),48 The Chilean Embassy in Washington has requested that the twenty-five Stearman PT–17 biplanes listed in the enclosure be replaced by an equal number of Fairchild PT–19 monoplanes, and this request will probably be granted. If the contemplated replacement becomes effective, it will involve delay in the schedule of delivery of primary trainers to August-October, 1943.
For your background information, while the entire request of the representatives of the Chilean Air Force in Washington was not filled, the allocation may be considered very generous in view of our own requirements and entirely equitable in the light of allocations to other American republics.
Very truly yours,
- Schedule not printed; it listed 3 patrol bombers, 12 light bombers, 12 fighters, 15 advance trainers, 24 basic trainers and 25 primary trainers, a total of 91 planes.↩