824.61311/6–146
The Secretary of State to the Bolivian Ambassador (Andrade)
Excellency: I have the honor to refer to your note of May 134 requesting that licenses be granted for export of flour from the United States to the mining companies in Bolivia and that a quota of 20,000 tons of flour for the present year be assigned to Bolivia.
I am informed by the supply authorities that in view of the large quantities of flour which Bolivia secured from this country in the early months of the present year, no quotas are in force permitting further shipments to Bolivia at the present time. It is suggested that it may be possible to meet the needs of the miners in Bolivia by adjustments within that country providing for transfer of some of the supplies in regular civilian distribution to the mining colonies. This suggestion is made in view of the great deficit in wheat which has necessitated universal reduction of wheat imports to correspond only to the minimum consumption requirements.
Since there are no annual quotas set for export of flour, it is not possible at present to indicate such for Bolivia as requested in your note. I assure you, however, that the Bolivian request for additional quantities of flour from the United States will receive full consideration. Since distribution of wheat and flour is made on the basis of minimum consumption needs of all countries, it would be helpful if the Bolivian Government could submit detailed information concerning grain supply in Bolivia such as figures on production and utilization of grain, stocks of grain, amounts and level of consumption, use of substitutes for wheat, et cetera.
Accept [etc.]
- Not printed.↩