740.00112A European War, 1939/13167
The Ambassador in Chile (Bowers) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 22.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith for the information of the Department a copy of a letter of June 2, 1942,83 from the Consulate [Page 128] at Valparaiso to the Mission concerning the transfer of dollar funds held in the Banco de Chile for the account of the Sociedad Agrícola e Industrial San Pedro to the Banco Central de Chile for the account of the Banco Alemán Transatlántic. The Sociedad Agrícola e Industrial San Pedro is an offshoot of the now dissolved firm of Wagner, Chadwick y Cía. and the partners, particularly Ernesto Wagner, are well known Nazis or Nazi sympathizers. Both the Sociedad and Ernesto Wagner were recommended for publication in the Proclaimed List in despatch No. 3317 of May 14, 1942,84 and have been on the Statutory List for several months.
Inasmuch as the transaction in question has already been consummated, there is nothing that can be done even in an informal way, but the matter is being called to the Department’s attention as a further example of the noncooperation on the part of the Chilean Government and the impossibility of preventing transfer of dollar funds to Proclaimed List firms within the country under present conditions.
Respectfully yours,