File No. 711.1216M/305.

The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.

No. 1004.]

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction of the 19th ultimo, No. 551, relative to the resumption of work on the Colorado River protective works, and to enclose to the Department a copy, in translation, of the Foreign Office’s reply to the Embassy’s note based on that instruction.

I have [etc.]

Henry Lane Wilson.
[Page 980]
[Inclosure—Translation.]

The Subsecretary for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador.

Mr. Ambassador: Referring to your excellency’s courteous note of September 29th, last, I have the honor to say to your excellency, by order of the President of the Republic, that in consideration of all the antecedents relative to the works of defense of the Colorado River that are being executed by the Colorado River Land Company and, principally, of the very active diplomatic endeavors concerning the nature of these works, which were satisfactorily ended by my note of January 11, 1911, addressed to your excellency,1 and with the perfect understanding between my Government and that of your excellency, by which it was agreed that “the above mentioned works would be executed by the Colorado River Land Company, a Mexican corporation, operating by virtue of a concession granted to it by the Mexican Government, and under the inspection of an engineer appointed by that Government; with the understanding that the execution shall not have an international character; which agreement was ratified in all of its parts by the exchange of notes,” this Department is of the opinion, and in this sense will say to your excellency, that any endeavors relative to these works should be made by the Colorado River Land Company directly with the Department of Fomento, from which they depend according to law, for which works the Department has appointed an engineer-inspector, which does not prevent this Department from recommending, as it is hastening to do with satisfaction, in accordance with the wishes of the American Government, the promptness with which Fomento should act and give instructions to its employees and in granting such privileges as may be within its province to facilitate, as much as possible, the works of the above-mentioned company.

I also beg to say to your excellency that at the proper time the inspector of the works, Engineer Beltrán y Puga, informed this Department concerning the opinion he expressed to Engineer Ockerson with reference to the procedure to be observed by the company of which he is the director and representative, in order to resume its works, which opinion, in view, of the antecedents referred to in this note, was approved in every respect.

I avail [etc.]

B. Carbajal y Rosa.
  1. Not printed; but see note of January 9, 1911, from the Mexican Ambassador, For. Rel. 1911, pp. 554555.