825.248/223

The Secretary of State to President Roosevelt 16

My Dear Mr. President: You will recall several recent telegrams from Ambassador Bowers urging that certain military and naval matériel immediately be made available to Chile in order to put it in a position to repel the aggression from Japan it appears so much to [Page 6] fear. The War and Navy Departments reviewed their supply situation and authorized me to send a telegram setting forth a list of matériel which could be made available either immediately or in the near future. Mr. Bowers has now sent a message indicating his opinion that the list is entirely inadequate and urging further reconsideration of the situation. It does not seem to me that Mr. Bowers appreciates the exceedingly heavy demands which are now being made on our war production or that the War and Navy Departments, at your direction, made a real effort to furnish to Chile whatever they could spare.

There is submitted for your consideration a suggested telegram to Mr. Bowers.18 If it meets with your approval I will see that it is dispatched at once.

There are attached hereto copies of the messages between Ambassador Bowers and the Department pertinent to your consideration of this matter.

Faithfully yours,

Cordell Hull
  1. Returned by President Roosevelt with the notation: “OK”.
  2. Infra.