Messersmith, G.S., Mexico City. To Raymond H. Geist, Bethesda, Md.
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University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
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Consular Conference most helpful; devoted conference to getting across complete picture of war and new situations created by it rather than to routine questions of consular practice; Wayne [Chatfield] Taylor was splendid; believes he now has better comprehension of capacity of consular officers to handle wide range of problems; Taylor supplied further background concerning Executive Order which would virtually have placed conduct of foreign affairs in hands of Board of Economic Warfare; had decided if order carried through to go home and tell President and Secretary impossible to continue serving in foreign post under those conditions; understands now President has made clear to BEW that State Department still has primacy in conduct of foreign affairs; major battle won, but same people who have been sniping at Department and Secretary will continue to do so; unfortunate that because of emergency Department has not been able to carry through fully the consolidation plans; this experience with BEW and the recent Executive Order shows that Department must meet needs of other Departments no matter how great the difficulty; realizes need for expanded personnel; reporting work in Mexico City unsatisfactory, but trying to remedy situation; planning reorganization of establishment; will set up in reporting section sub-sections to cover each phase of reporting other than political; would like to confine word "attaché" to Military and Naval Attachés, and give the head of reporting unit, aside from political reporting, the title of Economic Counselor; noted from Geist's letter that Department has taken no steps to ally itself with foreign trade interests; [Dean] Acheson competent, but doesn't realize importance of coordination in government and inter-relations of government with business; overwhelmed with work; not only organizational but physical problems; Mexican Embassy most sadly neglected ever seen.