Editorial Note

In response to a request of the Secretary of Defense (Forrestal), the Department of State instructed the Ambassador in Mexico (Thurston) to make inquiries of the Mexican authorities concerning a proposal for development of a guided missile range site over the Gulf of California. Ambassador Thurston reported in telegram 53, January 16, 1948, 7 p. m. (811.215/1–1748), not printed, that he had discussed the matter with the President of Mexico (Alemán) and the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Torres Bodet). Their objections to the proposal, he said, were instantaneous and based upon the fact that the Mexican Government was without constitutional authority to grant permission for such a project.

A note of July 19, 1948 from the Mexican Foreign Office informed the United States Embassy that since the urgent need for extensive training grounds for Navy flyers had passed, the Mexican Government withdrew its permission, granted in a memorandum of September 30, 1943 from Maj. Gen. F. Castillo Majera, then Chief of the Mexican section of the Joint Mexican-United States Defense Commission, for use of Mexican territorial waters for bombing practices (despatch 1212, July 27, 1948 from Mexico, 812.014/7–2748).