825.2542/8–2853
The Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization (Flemming) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: At the August 26 meeting of the Defense Mobilization Board consideration was given to a proposal calling for the purchase of copper from the Chilean government.
It was the consensus of the Board that: (1) it would be in the interest of national security to purchase up to 100,000 tons of copper at the market price prevailing at the time of delivery; (2) any such purchase should be accompanied by an agreement on the part of Chile not to sell copper to the Soviet bloc; and (3) as a condition to the purchase Chile should agree to eliminate present economic practices which jeopardize American investments in that country and render it an unstable source of U.S. copper supply.
In view of the fact that the Administrator, General Services Administration, is the person authorized to enter into procurement contracts under programs approved by the Office of Defense Mobilization, I am asking Mr. Mansure to designate a representative to work with the Department of State on this matter. I am designating Mr. Charles Kendall of my own staff to work with your people and the representative of the General Services Administration.1
Sincerely yours,
- For a list of the U.S. and Chilean representatives who participated in the copper discussions initiated at Washington on Sept. 21, 1953, see Department of State press release 510, dated Sept. 21, in Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 5, 1953, p. 442.↩