File No. 812.63/388

Ambassador Fletcher to the Secretary of State

No. 3

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s telegram of February 17, 5 p.m. and to my reply thereto No. 2, of February 19, 2 p.m., relative to the decrees with respect to the operation of mines, and to enclose herewith a copy and translation of the latest official statement in the matter, which consists of a circular issued by the Department of Fomento on February 16, 1917.

I have [etc.]

Henry P. Fletcher
[Inclosure—Translation]

circular issued by department of fomento on february 16, 1917, relative to decrees with respect to operation of mines

The period referred to in Article 1 of the Decree of September 14, 1916, having expired, as well as the extension granted by Circular No. 22 issued by this Department on November 14 of the same year, to the end that the concessionaires of mining properties should proceed with the exploitation thereof, the Citizen First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, in charge of the Executive Power has seen fit to direct that:

1.
The mining enterprises which have set before the Department of Fomento, Colonization and Industry the reasons which have prevented their compliance with the decree above mentioned, may be allowed a last extension which shall be fixed by this Department in accordance with the especial nature of each case.
2.
The enterprises which have not addressed to this Department any petition for extension, whether the property concerned is developed or not, will be intervened by the Department of Finance and Public Credit, in so far as the penalty of forfeiture may be declared by the Department of Fomento in compliance with the decree referred to. To this end, the Department of Hacienda will be furnished with a list of the names of each and every one of the claims or properties which should be intervened.

All of which is made of public knowledge and of the knowledge of the interested parties for proper compliance.

Constitution and Reforms

Pastor Rouiax