832.852/92
The Acting Secretary of State to the Brazilian Ambassador (Martins)
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I refer to your conversation with the Secretary on January 1845 at which you discussed among other things the request of the Brazilian Government for merchant vessels to replace in part the Brazilian merchant vessels which have been lost by enemy action.
The Secretary and other officials of the Department have explored this proposal with the competent officials of this Government, including the Administrator and Deputy Administrator of the War Shipping Administration, in an effort to satisfy your Government’s request. We learn, however, that the shipping position in the next six months or so, as envisaged by the officials responsible for shipping, is as tight as it has been at any time since the beginning of the war. Thanks to the remarkable building records of our shipyards and to the growing [Page 649] success of the campaign against the submarine we are now able to mount large operations requiring prodigious amounts of shipping tonnage. Nevertheless the demand for tonnage by each theater of war as it becomes active, and the relief requirements for liberated areas, so essential to the success of military operations, still make demands on shipping beyond our constantly improving supplies.
I am, however, assured that with the easing of the shipping position which may come about, we hope, before too long, the War Shipping Administration will be glad to give renewed sympathetic consideration to your Government’s suggestion.
In the foregoing connection I am reminded that arrangements have been completed by the Brazilian Maritime Commission and the War Shipping Administration, acting through our Embassy at Rio de Janeiro, for the return of the remaining nine Brazilian ships which until now have been operating under charter generously offered us by your Government. I trust that this measure will contribute to the alleviation of the situation which your Government had in mind in making the proposal discussed above, and I assure you of the readiness of this Government to give sympathetic consideration to any other feasible measures which may occur to your Government.
Sincerely yours,
- Memorandum of conversation not printed.↩