812.659/50

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Mexico ( Messersmith )

No. 3574

Sir: Reference is made to the Embassy’s despatch no. 9463 of April 22, 1943 and to your letter of May 12, 1943 to Mr. Acheson. Attached are a copy of a letter which President Roosevelt himself is sending to President Camacho49 and a draft note to be submitted to the Mexican Foreign Office.50 You are requested promptly to put the enclosed note in appropriate form and to transmit it to the appropriate officials of the Mexican Government.

The issues raised by the proposed Cyanamid contract have been carefully considered by the interested governmental agencies and by the President. There has been special concern about the dominant position in the Mexican chemical and pharmaceutical industry which would be accorded to American Cyanamid Company if the proposed contract were executed. It has also been felt that an arrangement between the Mexican Government and the Alien Property Custodian along the lines suggested in the attached note would avoid difficulties which might arise from the Cyanamid arrangements and would be more advantageous to the Mexicans and to our economic warfare [Page 509] program. In view of these considerations, the President directed that his letter to President Camacho and the attached note to the Foreign Office be transmitted.

You should, in your conversations with the Mexican Government, emphasize the desire of this Government to work out an arrangement which will promote the best interests of the Mexican economy and the belief of this Government that the program outlined by the Alien Property Custodian affords a basis for achieving that objective.

Please send to the Department as soon as possible a copy of the note as transmitted to the Mexican Government, and please keep the Department promptly informed of all pertinent developments.

Very truly yours,

Cordell Hull
  1. Infra.
  2. Not printed.