Office of the Historian

837.51 Cooperation Program/192: Telegram

The Ambassador in Cuba (Braden) to the Secretary of State

Habana, January 7, 1943—noon.
[Received 2:38 p.m.]

12. It would be helpful to receive information on the status of Cuban Public Works projects including the following.

1.
Central Highway. Has the requisite machinery been earmarked and when will it be delivered? How about steel? Are we correct in assuming that necessary asphalt has been promised on a war essential basis? (The Presidency announced on January 4 that repairs should be undertaken at once; Fomento Commission77 has disclaimed knowledge of this statement.)
2.
What is the final decision on the Santiago and Guantanamo aqueduct proposals?
3.
With respect to supplementary roads, how was this matter left? A revised and less extensive list of air base construction equipment was recently made available to the Fomento Commission which has written me that it desires to acquire practically all of it. My reply should indicate not only items to be transferred (which can be ascertained from base authorities here) but whether this is to be done under Lend-Lease,78 the $25,000,000 line of credit,79 or otherwise.
4.
What was the result of investigation concerning availability of equipment for refrigerated storage warehouses? (These are highly important with respect to the agricultural diversification program.80)
5.
Irrigation projects. It is assumed that the engineers mentioned in the Department’s telegram No. 23 of January 681 will investigate feasibility of Cuban plans.
Braden
  1. Ministry of Public Works’ National Development Commission (Comision de Fomento Nacional).↩
  2. For correspondence concerning Lend-Lease agreement with Cuba, see Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. vii, pp. 116 ff.↩
  3. An agreement signed April 8, 1942, between the Export-Import Bank of Washington and the Comisión de Fomento Nacional provided for a line of credit of $25,000,000, repayable in 30 installments semiannually with interest at 4 percent. The loan was to be used for public works and agricultural projects.↩
  4. For details of the diversification program in Cuba, see pp. 223 ff.↩
  5. Not printed.↩