812.50/407a
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Mexico (Bursley)
The Secretary of State encloses with this communication a copy of a memorandum on the present status of projects recommended by the Mexican-American Commission for Economic Cooperation dated [Page 424] September 20, 1943.36 This is a slightly revised memorandum based on one dated September 10, 1943 which was transmitted to the Embassy some days ago by third person and without comment.
This memorandum, it will be observed, consists of two sections one of which indicates the present status of the recommended projects while the other attempts to classify these projects on the basis of status. In the second section of the memorandum there are sixteen projects listed for which applications have not as yet been submitted to the Office of Economic Warfare. Although, quite obviously, the recommendations of the Commission on specific projects cannot be implemented until applications are submitted to the Office of Economic Warfare, nevertheless, it is suggested that no particular effort be made by the Embassy to stimulate the immediate submittal of applications on these projects. It is considered more advisable to let the projects mature in a normal manner rather than to urge immediate action at this time unless instructions to do so on specific projects are received from the Department. Otherwise the presumption might be established in the minds of interested parties that approval of applications when submitted on recommended projects would be extremely likely if not certain. In reality the fact of recommendation by the Commission is simply additional evidence that a project has unusual merit and should be accorded all possible consideration by the various Government agencies entrusted with the power of decision on such matters.
The Embassy is requested to go over this memorandum carefully in an attempt to determine whether there are either errors of fact or statements of opinion which are not in conformance with the considered judgment of responsible officers in the Embassy. The Department requests any additional information on the recommended projects which may be available in Mexico and which, it is considered, is of sufficient importance for transmittal. It is anticipated that further statements in regard to the status of projects will be prepared at periodic intervals.
- Not printed; it recommended two agricultural projects (El Palmito Dam and miscellaneous irrigation plans); eight hydroelectric and diesel plants; the completion or equipping of eight steel mills; the equipping of eight cement plants; one project each for rubber and sugar industries; the equipping of six pulp and paper factories; two chemical projects; three textiles projects; and the equipping of two miscellaneous factories.↩