800.8836/1230
The Ambassador in Cuba (Braden) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 27.]
Sir: Supplementing previous correspondence in connection with the concessions of the American-owned terminal companies in Cuba, I have the honor to refer to a memorandum of March 1, 1944,66 on a conversation which Messrs. Bonsal and Scherer67 had in the matter [Page 1006] with the Cuban Ambassador in Washington. According to this memorandum, the Ambassador was informed that the terminal companies “contend” that the Cuban Government cannot lawfully modify their concession privileges unilaterally, and the hope expressed that arrangements might be made by the Cuban Government to expedite the decision of the courts, or otherwise to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.
As the Department is aware, the Embassy on February 23, 1944, entered a formal protest69 against the action taken by the Cuban Government vis-à-vis the terminal companies and requested the Cuban Government to take such steps as may be necessary to correct the situation. A copy of this note of protest was enclosed with my despatch No. 6158 of March 2, 1944 (File No. 815.6).70 This action was taken pursuant to the Department’s instruction No. 2890 of February 9, 1944 (File No. 800.8836/1216), in the last paragraph of which the Embassy was informed that the Department would bring the matter “forcibly” to the attention of the Cuban Ambassador.
The representations which, according to the memorandum of March 1, 1944, were made by the Department to the Cuban Ambassador appear, however, to have been much less forceful than the Department’s instruction No. 2890 had led me to expect. While no reply has as yet been received to my note of February 23, 1944, I am very much afraid that if Ambassador Concheso reported to his Government the substance of the Department’s representations in the matter, it might tend materially to weaken the effect of my note of protest and to make increasingly doubtful the outcome of our efforts on the terminal companies’ behalf. I hope, therefore, that the Department may find it possible again to bring this matter to the Cuban Ambassador’s attention and to impress upon him the necessity of his Government’s taking prompt action to correct the situation.
Respectfully yours,