File No. 312.11/1209.

The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram—Paraphrase.]

58. Mr. de la Barra began our interview today by saying that he wished our conversation to be considered as friendly and unofficial and not for a moment binding the Provisional Government in any [Page 941] wise, as it was simply an exchange of ideas to lead to a definite settlement.

He first took up the Chamizal case and recited at length his discussions with Mr. Knox, indicating he was now prepared to propose an exchange of the territory and that if the United States would cede the islands of San Elizario and Beaver, near El Paso, Mexico would be able, in conformity with national sentiment, to cede El Chamizal based on interpretation of the treaties of 1853 and 1884. The exchange could be made as Mr. de la Barra had proposed while he was Ambassador at Washington, but the arrangements could not be carried into effect until Mexican sentiment had been prepared.

With reference to the Colorado River question Mr. de la Barra said that the matter was now in the Department of State at Washington awaiting the reply to the Mexican counter-project and that his Government was ready to treat with the Embassy here as soon as the attitude of our Government was defined.

With regard to the Tlahualilo question he said that although he had maintained in the Cabinet discussion that it should not be the subject of diplomatic representations and that a decision of the Supreme Court of Mexico in a contention between the Government and a Mexican corporation should not be substituted to arbitration, he nevertheless had strong hopes that he could procure a satisfactory solution by means of a private arrangement between this and another company owning rights in the Laguna region. He added that he hoped soon to be in a position which would justify his sending for the representative of the Tlahualilo Co. for the purpose of arriving at a definite solution.

In regard to the question of claims Mr. de la Barra said that he had not been able to complete the study, but before next Tuesday would give the Ambassador a definite reply concerning this and other questions treated of in our note of September 15 and in my letter to General Huerta.

In regard to Mr. de la Barra’s statements relative to the Chamizal question I made no comments, as the case has never been treated in this Embassy and, as I believe, it is the intention of the Provisional Government to meet our views as far as possible. I, moreover, avoided discussion because this question has been submitted to arbitration, which makes our position a delicate one.

In regard to the Colorado River question I am of the opinion, as I have before said to the Department, that the difficulties which exist can be arranged easily and that no disposition exists here to delay effective arrangement.

In regard to the Tlahualilo case I observed that the Government of the United States and that of Great Britain had expressed their disapproval of the Mexican contention that by a decision of the Mexican Supreme Court it became res judicata, and said to him very clearly that either the Tlahualilo claimants must be satisfied or the Mexican Government must accept our proposal for arbitration.

Mr. de la Barra seemed to think that his proposals were concessions and that we were on the road to a satisfactory settlement of all pending questions, but I indicated to him the disinclination which my Government would feel in having the questions under discussion [Page 942] involved in a long and profitless controversy, and that we had had plenty of views but were still anxiously looking for facts. * * *1

Wilson.
  1. The omitted passage is printed under Political Affairs, p. 749.