812.20/8–1644

The Acting Deputy Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs ( McGurk ) to the Ambassador in Mexico ( Messersmith )

No. 100

Dear Mr. Ambassador: You will recall the question of Mexican staff officers being sent to the battlefront. In this respect, the War Department told us some time ago that they would be unable to send any Mexican staff officers to the battlefront. We pointed out that they had already sent Brazilian officers and that they could expect a protest from the Mexicans if they refused to send them. Apparently, the War Department took this to heart and I enclose a copy of a memorandum27 which was recently received from the War Department, indicating that arrangements are being made to send [six?] Mexican staff officers to Allied Headquarters in Italy.

It is possible that it might be desirable instead of having all of these officers regular Mexican staff officers, to send three staff officers and three general officers. If you have any thoughts on this matter, and would wish to let us have them immediately, we might pass word along to the War Department.28

For your information, there is also being discussed the possibility of staff officers from our other neighbors to the south. Nothing very definite has been done about this but I assume that within not too far distant a period some of these other countries will also be given an opportunity.

[Page 1195]

Apparently, the French front is out of the question just at present because the situation is still so mobile.

As soon as we have any definite information from the War Department, I will send it along.

Believe me [etc.]

J. F. McGurk
  1. Not printed.
  2. Ambassador Messersmith, in a letter dated September 1, 1944, to Mr. McGurk, stated that it was his belief as well as that of Gen. A. R. Harris, his Military Attaché, that the six Mexican officers should be of relatively high rank and that it would be preferable if three of them were Generals (812.20/9–144).