812.24/3199½
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Liaison Officer With the War and Navy Departments (Wilson)
Major Hickman15 called this morning at my request. I invited his attention to the request from the Mexican Embassy to this Government to furnish food rations for Mexican troops stationed in Lower California and charge the expense to Mexico’s credit under the Lend-Lease agreement.16 I stated that in the opinion of the Department it would not be advisable to do so as food cannot be properly classified as “armaments and munitions of war.” The Department therefore desired to inquire whether it might not be possible to assist the Mexican Government by selling to it for cash the necessary rations from stocks of the United States Army at fair and reasonable prices.
Major Hickman replied that the War Department had been apprised of this matter about two months ago by General Henry17 of the Joint Mexican-United States Defense Commission. General DeWitt18 was then consulted. He replied that under his present authorization for release of material to the Mexican Army, he would be unable to provide the food, and (2) he felt he would incur difficulties with the local ration authorities in California if he should endeavor to buy these rations in the open market. I gathered that General DeWitt feared that owing to the food situation in the southern part of California, he would incur criticism from the officials of the Price Administration and the public should it become known that the provisions were destined for Mexico. On receipt of General DeWitt’s answer General Henry was duly informed and a suggestion was made to him that he might approach the officials of the Lend-Lease Administration for their views and possible decision. In this connection Major Hickman informed me that no suggestions were made by the War Department [Page 410] to General Henry that the provisions might be purchased by Mexico under the Lend-Lease agreement.
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Major Hickman told me that he would consult Colonel Hertford19 and other officers in an endeavor to ascertain whether an appropriate method could be found to assist the Mexicans. I expressed the hope that this could be done as the Department did not desire to modify the strict construction of the Lend-Lease agreement.
- Maj. George E. Hickman, Operations Division, War Department General Staff.↩
- Signed at Washington March 27, 1942, Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. vi, p. 485.↩
- Gen. Guy V. Henry.↩
- Lt. Gen. J. L. DeWitt, Office of the Commanding General, Western Defense Command.↩
- Col. K. F. Hertford, Latin American Section, Operations Division, War Department.↩