Box 14

Scope and Contents In Spanish. Glad to participate in broadcast with Minister for Foreign Relations, Ezequiel Padilla; recounts some of Mexico's struggle for independence which ended in 1821; since then Mexican people have proved how much they value their freedom and how to fight for it; almost whole world now involved in another struggle and again Mexican Government and people unswervingly followed course of action which led them into fight against Axis powers; it is privilege and honor to offer homage to...

Scope and Contents

English translation of preceding entry.

Scope and Contents Gen. [Stanley D.] Embick and Adm. [Alfred W.] Johnson arrived last Sunday together with Mexican members of Joint Mexican - U.S. Defense Commission; had long talk with them Monday A.M.; gave supper party in Embassy for 300 guests, including high ranking Mexican Army and Navy officials, members of the Commission and members of Mexican Cabinet; Gen. Lazaro Cárdenas sent his regrets; no significance should be attached to his absence as he rarely attends social affairs; giving small dinner party...

Scope and Contents [Stanley D.] Embick and [Alfred W.] Johnson left Sunday; [Tomás] Sanchez Hernandez went with them but doubts he will stay; believes [Luis] Alamillo will replace him on Joint Commission in addition to serving as Military Attaché; understands Sanchez Hernandez to be attached to Defense Office; will be helpful to have man like him close to Gen. [Lazaro] Cárdenas; can give no information on Alamillo; no agreements or decisions were made while mission was in Mexico; Embick and Johnson will no...

Scope and Contents Regrets bringing up Mexican railway rehabilitation again, but situation becoming critical; freight piling up north of Mexico City for want of motive power; War Production Board apparently holding up program now and war effort will suffer because of delay; Coordinator [of Inter-American Affairs] has named [Edward L.] Love, a vice president of Chase Bank to head program in Washington, and [Oliver M.] Stevens, of Missouri Pacific, to head mission in Mexico; both men have been in Mexico for...

Scope and Contents [Carlos] Saladrigas in Mexico on mission to sign agreement on mutual Cuban-Mexican patrol measures; he is in daily contact by telephone with President Batista, who urges him to talk to Mexican authorities regarding supplying Cuba with oil; Saladrigas reports Cuban situation critical; Cuba receiving only 40 percent of her petroleum needs from U.S.; having no coal, she must depend upon oil for fuel for industry, for transport, and for agricultural machinery; increase in unemployment; disturbed...

Scope and Contents

Thanks Bonsal for letter giving information respecting Cuban sugar problem; thinks U.S. should go ahead and purchase this year's whole crop and without haggling over price; delaying decision only causes uncertainty among people who already have enough difficulties.

Scope and Contents

In Spanish. Congratulates students; discusses effects of war upon college students, many of whom must interrupt their education to serve in the armed forces; emphasizes importance of inter-American cultural relationships.

Scope and Contents Carlos Saladrigas, with wife, daughter, and sister, still in Mexico and staying at house; thinks he would like to have some resolution of Cuban oil difficulties before returning to Cuba; if he can accomplish this it will strengthen his position in Cuba; he has ambitions to succeed Batista as President; not interested in political ambitions of any one person, but from U.S. point of view it would be well to have man like Saladrigas as President of Cuba; in the interest of U.S. that Cuba's...

Scope and Contents Acknowledges Collado's letter regarding desirability of U.S. sending economic mission to Mexico; Mexican Government requested such mission about a year ago; Messersmith was asked his opinion shortly after arrival in Mexico and after careful study recommended that mission not be sent at the time; question arose again some months afterward, and again Messersmith felt it was undesirable; original reasons prompting Mexican Government to ask for mission no longer apply; many of its objectives...

Scope and Contents

Memorandum on conversation with representatives of Inter-American Navigation Company; informed them General [Abelardo L.] Rodriguez had formed Mexican company for boat construction and that meeting was arranged for them next morning; suggested contract be kept simple as possible; Rodriguez an able and straightforward businessman who is impatient of red tape, unnecessary details, and legal jargon; if deal cannot be made with him, useless to pursue matter through other persons or firms.

Scope and Contents Mexican shipbuilding program broken down; Mexican Company made bid of $250,000 per ship, which was thought to be too high; truth is, nobody knows the cost of building 700-ton ships in Mexico because it hasn't been done; even Mexicans are guessing; Percy Douglas [from Office of Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs] suggested ordering four ships at Mexican Company's price and then reestimating cost; seemed reasonable solution; [Alexander M.] Peabody, of Inter-American Navigation Corp.,...

Scope and Contents Board of Economic Warfare, thwarted by Executive Order of President in taking control of U.S. foreign relations, now trying to do it through back door; BEW making determined effort to send number of people to Procurement Office in Mexico, nominally as assistants to [Floyd D.] Ransom, but with such definition of duties as would undermine Ransom's authority and cause utter confusion; cannot assume responsibility for conduct of U.S.-Mexican relations if this plan is carried through; hopes...

Scope and Contents Acknowledges Wallace's letter of Nov. 16 with its enclosure of letter from Ray Newton of the Friends Service Committee of Philadelphia; familiar with good work in the past of Friends Committee in Germany and Austria; has known Clarence Pickett well for years, and knows Newton, but slightly; both Newton and Pickett in Mexico several months ago; had long talk with Pickett on work Friends Service Committee is doing in Mexico; Newton discussed with Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, [Jaime]...

Scope and Contents

Informs Messersmith of changes in membership of Joint Mexican-U.S. Defense Commission; Johnson has replaced [Stanley D.] Embick as Chairman; Embick detached from Commission but retains chairmanship of Inter-American Defense Board; complains that with exception of Argentina and Chile, Mexico the least cooperative of other American republics, mentioning specifically Mexico's refusal to allow U.S. armed forces to operate in Mexico.

Scope and Contents Pleased to be present at broadcast; musical appreciation in Mexico City highly developed; satisfying that much of best Mexican music is becoming better known in U.S. just as best of music from U.S. is becoming better known in U.S.; Mexican Philharmonic Orchestra one of leading musical organizations in the country and its performance equals that of orchestras of capitals of the Old World and U.S.; Kleiber is an old and cherished friend; has heard him conduct orchestras in Europe where he...

Scope and Contents In Spanish. Appreciates invitation and generous welcome; has been in Mexico since February and has wanted to visit Tampico and other Mexican cities earlier, but many duties and responsibilities in Mexico City have made it impossible; now engaged in greatest war in history; Mexican people as well as those of U.S. understand what is at stake; complacent, the Allied nations were forced into war for which they were unprepared, while Germany, Italy, and Japan had spent years building up mighty...

Scope and Contents

English translation of preceding entry.

Scope and Contents Acknowledges Johnson's letter of Dec. 12 and thanks him for information on present membership of Joint Mexican-U.S. Defense Commission; defends Mexico against Johnson's accusation of being uncooperative; Mexican Government friendly to U.S. and would probably accede to any reasonable request of U.S., but must consider temper of Mexican population; reminds Johnson Mexico the only American country U.S. has taken territory from and has been at war with; nor can one dismiss the discrimination...

Scope and Contents Reports conversation with Vice President [Henry A.] Wallace in which he informed Wallace of the labor clauses some of the agencies were trying to insert in procurement contracts, the rubber program, the indiscriminate making of contracts, and the sending of too many men from Washington to Mexico without adequate directives and without specific programs; Wallace arranged meeting next day in his office with Milo Perkins and other high officials of B.E.W.; went over same ground with them, and...

Scope and Contents

In Spanish. Address delivered in Mexico City before the National School of Economy on the subject "Repercussions of the War on the Industry and Economy of the United States."

Scope and Contents

English translation of preceding address.

Scope and Contents

Apparently another version of above address, item 1564.

Scope and Contents Marked inflationary tendency becoming evident in Mexico; because of U.S. purchase of metals and other strategic materials from Mexico, flow of money into Mexico has increased so that consumer has increased purchasing power, but fewer consumer goods available for purchase, which causes prices to rise; Mexican government conscious of problem, but taking no adequate steps to alleviate it; talked with Finance Minister [Eduardo] Suárez, who stated only solution was increase of consumer goods...

Scope and Contents

Drove down from Monterrey with [Ezequiel] Padilla, arriving Mexico City last Saturday; exchange of visits between Presidents Roosevelt and Avila Camacho, first at Corpus Christi then at Monterrey, has made profound impression on Mexican people; press reaction all that could be desired.