740.00112A European War 1939/24380
The Minister in El Salvador (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 29.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that recently there have been several local violations of the Salvadoran regulations concerning rationing and price control. The Salvadoran Committee of Economic Coordination has issued such regulations and also acts as the enforcing agent. The penal clauses in such regulations do not provide for fines or imprisonment but provide only for a denial of permission to obtain such rationed commodities or to sell the same.
The Salvadoran Committee of Economic Coordination has requested an advisory opinion as to whether, as a matter of policy, the Board of Economic Warfare would entertain recommendations requesting the denial of U.S. export licenses to violators of the Salvadoran rationing and price control regulations if such a course is recommended by the Committee and by this Legation.
In other words, an advisory opinion is respectfully requested as to whether the Board of Economic Warfare would be willing to deny export licenses as a punishment for infractions of the Salvadoran control laws.
The Salvadoran Committee of Economic Coordination points out that it can always refuse to issue certificates of necessity to those guilty of infractions of local regulations but that violators of the Salvadoran regulations could still obtain American export licenses without recommendations for materials not under allocation.
Respectfully yours,
Special Assistant