812.24/2155: Airgram
The Ambassador in Mexico (Messersmith) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 3—3 p.m.]
A–1014. Reference Department’s airgram 1606, 4 [4:40] p.m., April 28, concerning effective date of decentralization in Mexico. Messrs. Cunningham, Bay,89 Wagman90 and Lockett conferred with Lie. Primo Villa Michel today in order to ascertain when his Comité Coordinador will be prepared and ready to place decentralization into effect. A mutual and satisfactory agreement was reached, whereby all requests for export licenses for products under allocation for the third quarter, with the exception of iron, steel and tinplate, will be made upon the new export recommendation forms. All such export recommendation forms for the third quarter will be processed by the [Page 248] Economic Section, in accordance with Plan A. Iron, steel and tinplate for the third quarter are exempted from the use of the new export recommendations because they will not have been received from the printers by May 15, which is the last date for the receipt of certificates of necessity for those products. Also according to the mutual understanding, all certificates of necessity for second quarter products will be issued on or prior to June 30, which will give them a validity date through August 31. Thus, in reality, the mutual agreement reached with Lie. Primo Villa Michel means that decentralization begins with all matters pertaining to products of the third quarter, with the exception of iron, steel and tinplate. This arrangement is satisfactory to Villa Michel and he stated that there need be no question about it being adhered to. Mr. Cunningham and the other officers of the Embassy are convinced that this is the best arrangement that can be worked out. It is now realized that should an earlier date be set, the Comité Coordinador could not complete its organization in time to meet its obligations. As far as the Embassy is concerned, it is now and has for some time been performing all of the functions necessary to full operation under decentralization Plan A, except for the form employed. The screening of export requests has been and is now being done by the Embassy by investigating and making recommendations on WT inquiries and certificates of necessity.