811.504 Mexico/23a
The Assistant Secretary of State (Acheson) to the Director of the Office of War Mobilization (Byrnes)
My Dear Justice Byrnes: Following our conversation of July 22 regarding the urgent need for hard rock miners in the United States, I telegraphed Ambassador Messersmith in Mexico City asking him whether a personal appeal from President Roosevelt to the President of Mexico might produce a change in the negative attitude of the Mexican Government regarding this matter.
Ambassador Messersmith has now informed me that while he is fully conscious of the emergency with which you were confronted, it is his considered opinion that it would be utterly impossible for the President of Mexico to alter the position which he has previously taken in this matter. The Ambassador feels that an appeal of the type contemplated would be most embarrassing to the President since he would be obliged to reject it. The Ambassador adds that President Avila Camacho has been following the labor situation in Mexico with the very greatest care and that it is his judgment and that of his advisers that any movement of mine labor such as that proposed would have a most upsetting effect upon the labor situation and would also seriously prejudice the production of strategic minerals in Mexico.
[Page 563]The Ambassador has asked me to assure you and Mr. McNutt of his deep personal interest in this matter, and of his knowledge of and sympathy with the problems with which you are confronted. In order to go further into this subject he would be glad to have some person whom you might wish to designate proceed to Mexico in order to discuss it with him. He feels, of course, that if you should decide to send such a person, no publicity should be given to his travel and the entire matter should be handled with the greatest discretion.
Sincerely yours,