837.61351/3773
Memorandum by Mr. George F. Scherer of the Division of the American Republics43
Sugar Insurance
The Embassy at Habana continues to devote considerable time and effort to the questionable sugar deal involving Enrique Godoy.44 In despatch 2528 of March 1945 the Embassy reports on a conversation at the Embassy in which Godoy, the Ambassador and evidently Ellis Briggs46 joined. I am inclined to feel that the Embassy is perhaps overzealous in its approach to this insurance problem. Mr. Earl Wilson47 of CCC has indicated that his agency is interested in making certain that the policies are in good companies and provide sufficient coverage. I feel that the Embassy is not in a position to deal with the questionable phase of this matter in a practical way, and consequently the more it intervenes the greater is the possibility of it receiving some of the eventual blame.
- Addressed to Philip W. Bonsal, Chief, and Willard F. Barber of the Division of the American Republics. Mr. Barber wrote the following comment: “I fully concur in these comments regarding overzealousness.”↩
- Member of the Cuban insurance brokerage firm of Godoy and Sayán, in Habana. On March 5, the Executive Committee of the Cuban Sugar Stabilization Institute authorized the brokerage firm of Godoy and Sayan to underwrite “provisional insurance” pending the establishment of a definite contract.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Counselor of Embassy in Cuba.↩
- Chief of the Sugar Section, Commodity Credit Corporation.↩