File No. 312.11/162b.
[Inclosure.]
Circular Instruction to Consular Officers in
Mexico.
Department of State,
Washington,
March 21, 1912.
Sir: As a matter of general policy the
Department instructs you to collect, so far as possible, and mail to
the Department accurate statements regarding all American
enterprises in your district—their character, value, extent, and
amount of business done; income derived therefrom; and, if mines,
the condition of development, normal quantum of work, whether mines
pay dividends; and, generally, any information of use in
establishing, in case of controversy, the real value of such
enterprise if at any time any damages should result thereto.
You are also instructed, whenever it may be possible to do so, to
make such investigation as is practicable regarding properties, if
any, that may have been deserted already, with a view to
ascertaining whether or not the circumstances really warranted
abandonment; the amount of damages suffered through actual
destruction and cessation of operations, as well as other facts that
would be of value in establishing the claim, and you should endeavor
specially to secure the names and addresses of such persons as may
be serviceable as witnesses.
You are finally instructed to inform the Americans in your district
with whom you have means of communicating that should they at any
time by any unforeseen turn of local events be actually compelled,
for their personal safety, to abandon their property and holdings,
in order later to substantiate whatever claims for damages they may
wish to make they should as soon as possible, in the event they
decide that they really must leave their properties, prepare in the
form of a sworn certificate as complete an inventory as possible,
which should be supported by the affidavits of two witnesses if they
can be obtained, and also a concise but comprehensive statement as
to the reasons for the abandonment, setting forth particularly the
fact, if it be a fact, that they could get no protection from the
Mexican Government and that life and property were really menaced
with destruction without it, and then such other facts as may be
pertinent, presenting both inventories and statements to the
consulate general for filing for future reference. All documents
filed, but especially inventories, should be prepared in triplicate,
one copy sent immediately to the Department for safe-keeping and to
facilitate consideration of possible claims, and one to the
Embassy.
In your communication with American citizens do not fail to make
perfectly clear the positive fact that this is merely a measure of
general policy and is entirely without other significance.
I am [etc.] (for Mr. Huntington Wilson).
