832.24/2303
The Liaison Officer (Wilson) to the Chief of the Brazilian Military Commission (Lima)
My Dear Colonel Stenio Lima: I refer to my letter of July 2352 in regard to the method of procurement of certain essential raw materials required by the arsenals of the Brazilian Army in which I stated that the appropriate organizations of this Government were giving this matter their sympathetic consideration in the light of Lend-Lease agreement with Brazil and of such other information which might be available.
I now desire to inform you that at a meeting attended by representatives of this Department, the Office of Economic Warfare, the War Production Board, and the Office of Lend-Lease Administration, these officials concurred in the opinion that, while this Government should fulfill any commitments made by it under the Lend-Lease agreement with Brazil, the raw materials in question, which consist of non-ferrous metals, may be supplied from United States sources and under Lend-Lease terms only in the event that they prove to be unobtainable from sources either in Brazil or in nearby countries, In pursuance of this decision it was agreed that the Brazilian Military Commission may submit requests for such materials to the Office of Lend-Lease Administration which shall then ascertain whether available supplies exist in nearby countries and inform the Commission of the result of this investigation in order that the Brazilian Government may, if such metals are available, take steps to obtain them through direct purchase.
It is believed that the foregoing proposed procedure is substantially in accordance with the views expressed to me in your letter of July 8, [Page 639] and it is consequently hoped that it will meet with the concurrence of the Brazilian Military Commission.
Sincerely yours,
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