812.20/477
The Ambassador in Mexico ( Messersmith ) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: You will recall in connection with the matter of a Mexican air squadron for a combat front, the President of Mexico raised the question whether for certain reasons it would be possible to train the squadron in Mexico instead of in the United States. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Padilla, told the President that he was sure that this was not practicable but Dr. Padilla asked me to [Page 1188] raise the question with General Hall although he knew the answer would be negative. You will recall I sent you correspondence with General Hall in which I asked him to give me an answer to this question and I have had word from him to the effect that for the reasons which he set forth in his letter and which are obvious, it would be impossible to train a Mexican squadron in Mexico.12
I am conveying this information to the President of Mexico through Dr. Padilla this afternoon and for his purposes I am giving him a secret memorandum, of which I enclose a copy for your information.13 The President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs I need not tell you will thoroughly appreciate why it is impossible to train such a squadron in Mexico and why the training will have to be done in the United States.
With all good wishes [etc.]
- A copy of the Ambassador’s letter to General Hall, dated May 20, 1944, was transmitted to the Secretary in a letter of the same date; neither printed. Reply from General Hall not found in Department files.↩
- Not printed; it explained the prohibitive costs involved in the time-consuming transplantation to Mexico of critical maintenance equipment, training facilities, and training personnel (812.20/477).↩