Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The American Republics, Volume VIII

815.248/9–247

The Ambassador in Honduras (Daniels) to the Secretary of State

restricted
No. 2907

Tegucigalpa, September 2, 1947.

Sir: I have the honor to enclose a memorandum dated September 2, 1947¹¹ addressed to the Embassy by Colonel Royal S. Thompson, Acting Chief of the United States Military Mission here, giving information regarding the forthcoming trip to the United States of Major B. F. Matthews, Chief of the Maintenance Section of the Honduran Air Force. The aircraft which Major Matthews has in mind purchasing for the Honduran Air Force are as follows:

• Six (6) AT–6 type aircraft One (1)
• AT–11 type aircraft
• One (1) C–47 type aircraft

Major Matthews plans to be in Washington in the latter part of September. It is suggested that this information be brought to the attention of the interested agencies of the Government in order that appropriate assistance may be extended to him in connection with his mission.

Although Major Matthews is an American citizen, his only employment here in Honduras is as Chief of Maintenance of the Honduran Air Force. As such he has been doing, from all accounts, an outstanding job in keeping the equipment, repair shops and mechanical facilities of the Honduran Air Force and School at a high level of efficiency.

I assume that Major Matthews will encounter no unusual difficulty in carrying out his mission, inasmuch as it appears that the Department already authorized some three months ago the exportation of six converted AT–6 airplanes to Honduras. I recommend that official contact be established with Major Matthews when he is in Washington, through the medium of the Honduran Embassy there, and that within the limits of the Department’s policy in such matters he be given the assistance to which a high official of a friendly foreign Government is entitled. It is likewise recommended that the Embassy be kept currently informed of the progress of Major Matthew’s mission insofar as the Department is able to do so.¹²

Respectfully yours,

Paul C. Daniels

11. Not printed.
12. In a memorandum of December 6, 1947, Mr. Daniels, then Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs, stated that on December 5, Maj. Ben Matthews had telephoned him from Miami and referred to the airplanes he had been procuring for the Honduran Government and said that everything had moved smoothly with regard to the AT–6’s and a C–47, but that there might be some delay in getting an export license for the AT–11 he was buying as an advanced trainer (demilitarized). Mr. Daniels told Major Matthews he would look into the AT–11 matter immediately. (815.248/12–647) Secretary Marshall informed the Embassy in Honduras in telegram 1, January 13, 1948, 6 p.m., that one AT–11 was licensed January 12 for export to the Honduran Air Force (815.248/1–1348).