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.
[References to the Chamizal and Colorado River cases.]
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 good intentions towards 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 towards securing the above arrangements.
[References to border claims cases.]
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.
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.