[Enclosure]
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the President of Cuba (Batista)
Washington, January 27, 1943.
Dear Mr. President: I have, as you know,
given the most careful personal study to the problem of Cuba’s 1943
sugar crop which has occupied the attention of our two Governments
during the past few weeks. I am confident that the proposal made
last December met all
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the
reasonable requirements of the situation. However, since that date,
I have given further consideration to the matter, with the result
that Ambassador Braden has now been authorized to indicate to you
certain modifications of our original proposal which, if proposed by
the Cuban Government, would be acceptable to this Government.
The proposal as it now stands provides for the expenditure in Cuba of
approximately $150,000,000 on a commodity which, because of
conditions with which you are fully familiar, cannot be used
directly in the war effort of the United Nations. I recognize, of
course, that it is fully consistent with the cooperative
relationship which has so happily existed between our two countries
for this Government to be of assistance at this time. However, the
immense and constantly-increasing burdens which the people of the
United States are being called upon to bear and the sacrifices of
every variety which we must all make render it impossible to justify
an expenditure greater than that which will suffice to maintain
employment and living conditions in Cuba on a war-time basis.
I am confident that your statesmanlike vision of the world situation
which I had the pleasure of again confirming on the occasion of your
visit here last month will enable you fully to comprehend the
problem with which our two Governments are now confronted and to
lend your full support to the proposal which Ambassador Braden will
outline to you.
Believe me, my dear Mr. President,
Yours very sincerely,
