832.24/1340: Telegram
The Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:10 p.m.]
965. Referring to Department’s telegram No. 520, February 11, 11 p.m. [midnight]. The following replies are made to the questions asked:
- (1)
- The Chilean copper under the sale of 2,621 short tons of electrolytic copper to the Brazilian Ministry of War by the Merry del Val Company arrived in Brazil during December and January and was unloaded from the steamship Antofagasta (1,179 metric tons) and steamship Angol (1,198 metric tons) in the port of Santos.
- (2)
- Actual copper arrivals in Brazil under the fourth quarter 1942 allocation of 1,327 short tons for the account of the Brazilian Military Arsenals to the Lend-Lease Administration totaled 450 metric tons.
- (3)
- Stocks of copper and zinc of the Brazilian Arsenals are not yet known, but the information is expected shortly. The War Ministry has indicated that zinc supplies are critically low. Additional information in reply to question number 3 will be submitted as soon as it becomes available.
Preliminary comments on questions 4, 5 and 6 are as follows: Communications from the Ministry of War indicate that difficulty is being experienced in maintaining an 8 hours per day working schedule in some of the Arsenals. Shortage of zinc and aluminum are stated to have slowed up the production of primers and cartridge cases and the Ministry is anxiously awaiting the arrival of zinc and aluminum on order.
The production of powder and explosives is reputed to be handicapped because of a lack of toluol. Consequently the Ministry was compelled to reduce production of trotyl.
The Ministry reports that it has placed an order with the Brazilian Military Commission in Washington for 2 metric tons of tetryl urgently needed for production of detonators.
Additional information is expected from the Ministry of War which will permit complete replies to the questions raised in the Department’s telegram 520 and Embassy will supplement this telegram as promptly as possible.