835.24/9–2044
The Ambassador in Mexico (Messersmith) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the Department’s circular telegram of September 15, 6 p.m., asking me to inform the appropriate authorities of the Mexican Government of the concern of the Department over the information it has lately received concerning the increase of legal and illicit exports of goods of United States origin from some of the other American Republics to the Argentine.
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In a conversation with the Minister of Hacienda, Mr. Suárez, today on other matters, I also took occasion to bring to his attention the substance of the appended memorandum.86 Mr. Suárez said that the Ministry of Hacienda was being constantly approached by persons who wished to export goods of United States origin to the Argentine and also by persons who wished to export goods of Mexican origin to [Page 354] the Argentine. He said that as I knew the Mexican Government was collaborating fully with us in this matter not only so far as the export of goods of United States origin was concerned, but also with respect to most goods of Mexican origin. He said that there were strict regulations of the Mexican Government which prevented the re-export of the goods of United States origin to the Argentine, and in fact to any other destination, as Mexico wished to conserve the goods which she got from the United States for her own use and wished to collaborate with us in the political policy of the American States with respect to the Argentine. He further said that so far as Mexican goods were concerned, the exports of goods of Mexican origin to the Argentine were kept to an absolute minimum and that there were practically no exports of any kind of Mexican goods to the Argentine.
I said to the Minister that I was appreciative of the adequate measures which he had taken with respect to both United States goods and Mexican goods and that his collaboration and that of the Mexican authorities was fully appreciated. I said it was my hope and that of my Government that there would be no relaxation on the part of the Mexican authorities in their vigilance in this matter, and he said that I could be assured that there would be no relaxation.
As characteristic of the attitude of the Mexican Government, the Minister said that yesterday, in a conversation which the President had with the Under Secretary of Hacienda, Mr. Beteta, the President had indicated his desire that these regulations with regard to the exportation or re-exportation of goods to the Argentine be most strictly observed.
The Embassy follows this question of shipments to the Argentine most carefully and is in a position to say that the collaboration which we are getting from the Mexican Government in this respect could not be more complete.
I am,
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩