File No. 312.11/1282.
The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, March 18, 1913—2 p.m.
118. The exact text of a note just received from the Foreign Office follows:
Relative to the questions pending between our Governments, I have the honor to assure your excellency of the friendly attitude of Mexico in its desire to settle them satisfactorily.
The Government of Mexico not only wishes to show that it is moved by the highest sentiments of justice and that it desires to create closer relations with the United States, but to demonstrate by actual deeds that, the national crisis having passed, it wishes to initiate a reorganization of the country by satisfying all claims founded on law and equity.
With reference to the Chamizal case the Government has deeply interested itself in order to establish definite bases to the end that this question may be promptly settled and with this object in view proper instructions will be given to its Ambassador in Washington who will have the prompt settlement of this case as the main object of his diplomatic mission; and inasmuch as it was started and carried on at that capital it would seem that it should be now continued there to a definite conclusion.
With reference to the Colorado River case my Government is awaiting the reply of the Government of the United States to its last note relative thereto.
The case of the Tlahualilo Company was definitely decided by the Supreme Court of the Republic but the Government of Mexico desires to demonstrate its [Page 945] good intentions toward enterprises which add to the welfare and material progress of the country, and in view of this it will do everything possible in order that the Tlahualilo Company may obtain advantageous arrangements with another or other concerns of those that use the waters of the Nazas River and insure a quantity of water which will satisfy the necessities of its agricultural pursuits. The Secretary of Fomento has made a special study of this case and in accord with my Department will use his good offices toward securing the above arrangements.
Claims pending for the loss of life and other bodily injuries in Douglas, El Paso, and Alamo shall be the subject of a general indemnity proposition on the part of the Mexican Government in order that the question of principle having been settled the amount of each individual claim may be fully and easily determined; therefore this Department is now ready to study the amount of each particular claim and to that end it will discuss the matter with your excellency.
With reference to general claims growing out of the civil struggle I must say to you that a report has been requested from the chairman of the commission. I can say to your excellency that within a very short time, perhaps within one month, a division of the claims, separating them in three classes, will be made, that is: first, those which are acceptable on account of their foundation and amount; second, those which are acceptable in principle but disputable as to their amount; third, those which are totally inadmissible. In this way the negotiations will have a fixed basis, and the work toward the agreement accepted by your excellency and this Department will be considerably simplified to the end of establishing a method for the decision of the cases in which an indemnity is not allowed in accordance with the pretensions of the interested parties and the opinion of your excellency’s Government.
I believe that the above will convince your excellency that the President of the Republic has given preferred attention to the matters in question and that when they are definitely decided he will do everything necessary to have them closed as soon as possible and in accordance with the general principles of law and the highest equity.
As soon as compatible with careful study of the foregoing, 1 desire the Department’s instructions thereon. The matters of Chamizal, Tlahualilo, Colorado River, and the Alamo, Douglas and El Paso claims, may be considered as settled in a satisfactory way, as our contentions are acceptable in principle.
In the matter of general claims growing out of the revolutions, it appears to me that although the Minister proposes a solution different from that insisted on by the Department, the Mexican Government is thoroughly in earnest about them. If the Department is of the same opinion, it might be well for it to consider relaxation of its adherence to the international-commission plan of settlement of these claims.