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FOREIGN RELATIONS) 19 4 2, VOLUME VI


811.20 Defense (M) Colombia/43: Telegram
    The Charge in Colombia (Keith) to the Secretary of State

                                   BOGOTA, March 25, 1942-11 p. m.
                                   [Received March 26-3: 27 a. m.]
  414. The plan proposed in the Department's telegram No. 350,
March 23, 11 p. m. was submitted today to Minister for Foreign
Affairs 50 who stated that he was deeply interested and that he would
transmit the contents of my note immediately to Minister of National
Economy.5'
  I have discussed the matter in strict confidence with Parrish who
was of mixed opinion as to plan and intimated possible lessened in-
terest of his colleagues and himself.
  Airmail report follows.
                                                            KEI1TH

811.20 Defense(M)/5,924a: Circular telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Representatives in
                   Certain American Republics 52

                              WASHINGTON, March 28, 1942-9 p. m.
  In order to give you background regarding the extreme urgency
of the rubber situation, which has led this government to request you
to institute immediate negotiations for the acquisition of the entire
rubber production of the country to which you are accredited, you
are advised of the following factors:
  1. With the shutting off of far eastern sources of rubber (excepting
only the Island of Ceylon) the nations which are directly producing
armaments and implements of war,-namely, the United States, the
United Kingdom and Canada,-are dependent for new crude rubber
supplies entirely on the American republics and Africa-sources
which have produced only a fraction of our needs.
  2. Existing stocks of crude rubber are wholly inadequate to meet
military requirements and synthetic rubber plants are being rushed.
Nevertheless, synthetic production will not be at full capacity before
1944, and in any event it is not at all certain that the use of crude rubber
in tires and tubes can be entirely dispensed with.
  3. A realistic analysis of the situation requires the conclusion that
both the United States and the American countries united with us
must dispense with all non-military uses of rubber not absolutely
essential to the conduct of the war.

   Luis L6pez de Mesa.
 &quot;Marco Aurelio Arango.
 63 Sent to representatives in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala,
Panama, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. With the exception
of the prefatory paragraph, the same was sent to Argentina and Brazil.


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