File No. 611.226/16
The Secretary of State to the Ecuadoran Minister ( Elizalde)
Sir: I have the honor to refer to your memorandum of August 21, and to your communication of November 15, in both of which the request was made that import licenses might be granted by the appropriate authorities of the United States Government for the importation into the United States of the cacao now actually stored in Ecuador.
[Page 425]In your memorandum of August 21 you stated that in order to make possible the complete payment of the coupons1 of the Guayaquil & Quito Railroad Co. bonds the Government of Ecuador proposes that it be permitted to export to the United States all the cacao which is actually stored in Ecuador which is about 14,000 tons, this price of sale to be used for the entire payment of the coupons1 which payment amounts to $859,740.
It gives me pleasure to inform you that the Department of State is informed that the War Trade Board has to-day passed a resolution authorizing the importation from Ecuador to the United States of 14,000 tons of cacao. I am particularly glad to give you this information inasmuch as the Department of State is happy to have been able to be of assistance to Ecuador in gaining permission for the exportation of this cacao and thus aid in bettering the financial conditions in Ecuador.
The Government of the United States is pleased that the Government of Ecuador will now make a payment covering the entire amount due on the coupons1 of the Guayaquil & Quito Railroad Co.’s bonds, thus fulfilling its obligations to this American company.
Accept [etc.]