Office of the Historian

825.34/4–1246: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Bowers)

confidential
Washington, April 12, 1946—4 p.m.

206. Approval has been given by Dept to sale from surplus of following small naval vessels to Chile. You may notify appropriate representatives that Navy Dept and FLC will negotiate in Washington [Page 570] details concerning sale of these vessels. These vessels are part of Navy’s counterpart of War Dept “interim program” previously approved by Dept and comprises small armed vessels of general types and amounts requested during staff conversation.

[Here follows a list of numbers and types of vessels approved for sale.]

For your conf info Navy plans similar program of Naval aircraft and naval equipment.32

Byrnes
  1. In telegram 416, April 23, 4 p.m., the Ambassador reported that Chile was unwilling to obligate funds for these vessels until more information was at hand as to the availability of larger combatant ships (825.34/4–2346).↩