File No. 812.512/1017
The Secretary of State to Special Agent Silliman
Washington, February 11, 1916.
Sir: There is enclosed herewith a copy of a despatch from the Department’s representative at Mexico City, dated January 26, 1916, and a translation of a circular issued by the Assistant Secretary of Finance, dated at Mexico City, December 29, 1915, granting a term of one month, from the first of January, within which all mining taxes in arrears must be paid.
You are instructed to bring this matter to the attention of the appropriate authorities, and, in behalf of American citizens owning mining property in Mexico, to request an extension of the time to pay [Page 710] arrears in taxes which will be sufficient to give such persons an adequate opportunity to arrange the matter.
In this connection, you will point out that the disturbed conditions which have existed in Mexico during the past several years, and particularly in some sections thereof in which many mines belonging to foreigners are located, have rendered it exceedingly difficult, and in some cases virtually impossible, for the owners of mining properties to pay taxes thereon, and that the time granted in the decree of the Department of Finance, namely, one month, is entirely too short to enable mine owners, generally, to liquidate their arrears of taxes.
I am [etc.]