Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918

File No. 612.119/1265

The Ambassador in Mexico ( Fletcher) to the Secretary of State

No. 902

Mexico, April 10, 1918.

Sir: In continuation of my despatch No. 868 of March 27 last, on the subject of the United States-Mexican commercial negotiations, I have the honor to enclose copy and translation of a note from the Mexican Minister for Foreign Affairs dated the 6th instant to which is attached a list showing the articles and quantities which the Mexican Government desires to import freely from the United States.

Mr. George J. McCarty, representative of the Food Administration and of the War Trade Board, who returned to Mexico with me with the intention of assisting in the negotiations, left this morning for Washington where he should arrive about the end of the present month. Mr. McCarty felt that, in view of the delay and the turn the Mexican Government had given these negotiations, he could be more useful in Washington than here.

I have [etc.]

Henry P. Fletcher

[Enclosure 1—Translation]

The Mexican Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ( Aguilar) to the American Ambassador ( Fletcher)

No. 294

Mexico, April 6, 1918.

Mr. Ambassador: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s note No. 289 of March 30 last, in which you inform me that the Government of the United States accepts in principle the general bases proposed by the Government of Mexico for commercial intercourse between the two countries.

In reply, I am pleased to state to your excellency that the Government of Mexico requests of the Government of the United States the free importation of the articles shown in the attached list, in the quantities shown therein, and has full confidence in that the Government of your excellency will comply with the wishes of the Government of Mexico in due reciprocity and in return for the free exportation of certain Mexican articles which are needed in the neighboring Republic of the North.

I avail [tc]

C. Aguilar

[Subenclosure—Translation]

List of articles Mexico desires to import

Corn	75,000 tons
Coke	20,000 tons
Ammonia	200 tons
Jute sacks	3,000 tons

Machinery of all kinds, especially agricultural and mining

Articles of iron and steel manufacture

Articles for the exploitation of mines, especially cyanide, dynamite, caps and fuse (As regards the last three items, it is impossible to make a previous estimate of quantities, but the Government of Mexico would charge itself with examining and approving or disapproving as the case may demand, each and all applications for importations made by private parties.)

Machinery and materials for railways
(Quantities as shown in the attached list)

Newsprint paper	1,000 tons
Common Soap	2,000 tons
Barley (grain)	4,000 tons

Electrolytic copper, in wire and cable

Zinc in ingots and sheets

Ferromanganese

(As regards the last three items, the importation of only 10 per cent of the corresponding raw material which Mexico exports to the United States, would be required.)

Arms existing in the United States, of a type which has not been used by the American Government	20,000 arms
Cartridges	10,000,000

Metallic gold in bars and coin (It is requested that exportation be permitted of the commercial balance in Mexico’s favor. The amount would be determined in the course of the negotiations.)

Railways

Hardware, car equipment, upholstery materials, files, wrenches	$74,014.75
Lamps and accessories, tin articles, train material, Pintsch gas lighting equipment, packing	119,458.10
Nuts and screws, chains, cotter-pins, nails, rivets, washers	84,577.80
Pipe and accessories, valves, and various material for water service	89,864.60
Locomotive and car air-brake material, as per catalog of the Westinghouse Air Brake Co	89,232.90
Copper bars and tubes or pipes, copper ferrules, injectors, safety valves, lubricators, manometers	106,597.50
Acids and chemical products, paints and varnishes	79,318.40
Structural steel, fire brick, steel for tools and springs, steel sheets, lead, bronze in sheets and ingots, corrugated tin and zinc roofing	538,701.40
Axles, crossbars, boiler tubes, wire netting, springs, tires, car wheels	313,103.00
Track screws and nails, handcars, wheelbarrows, switches, steam pumps, jacks, spades, track tools	150,876.30
Wooden cans, grease cups, hooks and car parts and accessories	2,522.65
Shop material, emery wheels	7,301.30
Transmission belting, glass, locomotive headlights, rubber tubing, wire and manila cable, furniture for cars and offices, leather, plumber’s materials	320,736.50
Electrical instruments, telegraph and telephone accessories, batteries, copper sulphate, iron, copper and magnet wire, battery zincs	304,383.80
Turbine buckets	1,200.00
Sliding steel doors	2,580.00
Trunnion lathe	1,275.00
Trunnion lathe	473.00
Complete plant for manufacturing boiler tubes	120,000.00
Complete oxyacetylene plant	26,083.00
10,000 tons 75-pound rail	650,000.00
20 locomotives	1,200,000.00
10 sleeping cars	80,000.00
5 combination baggage and express cars	60,000.00
Complete car-wheel and locomotive foundry	125,000.00
General shop machinery, such as machines for boring, planning, etc	453,700.00
	$5,000,000.00