833.34/5–1747: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Uruguay
A–263. Reference Department’s airgram No. 852 of May 7, 1947,12 and Embassy’s airgram No. 217 of May 17, 1947.
For your information, Field Commissioner for Military Programs, OFLC, expects to offer to Uruguay, at an early date, the U.S. naval vessels leased to Uruguay under the Naval Lease Agreement negotiated during the war. Offer will be made in letter addressed by OFLC to Uruguayan Naval Attaché, Washington. Uruguay will not be charged for use of vessels, as contemplated in Article VI of the agreement. Although total cost of vessels to U.S. was $1,323,883, they will be offered to Uruguay at total price of $35,361. Since sale of ships individually would be unfeasible, price quoted presupposes all will be purchased and none returned to U.S. Uruguayan request for destroyer or destroyer escort cannot be made a part of negotiations for sale of these ships, in as much as there is no legislative authority for sale of destroyers or destroyer escorts, pending enactment by Congress of Inter-American Cooperation Bill or other necessary legislation.
- Not printed.↩