Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The American Republics, Volume V

834.24/353

The American Embassy in Paraguay to the Paraguayan Ministry for Foreign Affairs³⁷

Note Verbale

The Embassy of the United States of North America presents its compliments to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and has the honor to inform the Ministry that the Government of the United States in Washington, D. C. has recently projected a plan which is to be known as the decentralized export scheme. It is believed that the inauguration of this new program will greatly facilitate the Paraguayan Government and Paraguayan importers in obtaining essential and necessary materials in the United States.

Heretofore imports of critical materials from the United States into Paraguay have been controlled by the issuance of a Certificate of Necessity by the Direction General of Industry & Commerce of the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Industries. Under the new decentralized plan³⁸ the Direction General of Commerce will be able to indicate what commodities are considered to be the most essential for the economic life of the country. Import recommendations covering all commodities rather than Certificates of Necessity, formerly issued for specific commodities, will be issued by the Direction General of Commerce and this Mission will assist in the examination of these recommendations. As recommendations are approved the Embassy, through the Department of State and the Board of Economic Warfare in Washington, D. C, will make every effort to expedite the delivery of the materials covered by the recommendations.

It is the belief of the Embassy that the inauguration of this new plan which is currently proposed to become effective as of April 1st will work to the material advantage of Paraguay. The plan has already been discussed in some detail with the Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Industries³⁹ and it is the understanding of the Embassy that the Minister, Dr. Esculies, is in complete agreement with its acceptance and its inauguration. The Embassy therefore takes this means of formally advising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this development and also suggests that a communication of acceptance of the plan from the Minister of Agriculture would be appreciated.⁴⁰

Asunción , February 18, 1943.

37. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in Paraguay in his despatch No. 862, March 15; received March 24.
38. Decentralization Plan A; for an outline of this plan, see circular airgram of January 19, 8 p.m., p. 106.
39. Francisco Esculies.
40. The acceptance of the Minister of Agriculture was transmitted to the Ambassador by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in his note verbale of March 11; neither printed.