812.24/3199½

The Mexican Embassy to the Department of State

Memorandum

As a result of prevailing conditions, as regards transportation facilities between the Peninsula of Lower California, Mexico, and the rest of the country, for a long time residents of Lower California have been dependent upon foodstuffs and other supplies obtained in the United States, particularly in nearby cities of California.

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To supplement available supplies for 4,000 men stationed in Lower California, 1,500 daily rations are required from the United States for such members of the Mexican Army in the Second Military Zone.

The matter was taken up by the Mexican Section with the United States Section of the Joint Mexican-United States Defense Commission13 and with Mr. Kempter, of the Office of Lend-Lease Administration, both of which express their willingness to extend this cooperation, once the Department of State is approached, as is done by means of this memorandum, and advises Major General Guy V. Henry, Joint Mexican-United States Defense Commission, and Mr. Kempter, Office of Lend-Lease Administration, that it has no objection.

  1. Creation of the Commission was announced on January 12, 1942, for the purpose of studying common problems of defense and of recommending cooperative measures to care for these problems.