File No. 812.516/210
The Ambassador in Mexico ( Fletcher) to the Secretary of State
Sir: In reply to the Department’s telegram No. 1192, June 21, 8 p.m., instructing me to forward a list of funds seized by the Mexican Government from the State banks of issue, the Banco Nacional and the Bank of London and Mexico, I have the honor to report as follows:
In my confidential despatch No. 427 of August 22, 1917,2 enclosure No. 5, I reported that the total amount seized from the Banco de Londres y México, giving the dates of seizure, to and including August 15, 1917, amounted to 14,766,976.31 pesos. I have not been able to obtain any further information, in time to enclose it in this despatch, of amount seized since August 1917. However, the British representative is endeavoring to obtain the additional data required and I hope to be able to forward it in the next pouch.
In enclosure No. 3 of my despatch No. 427 of August 22, 1917, it was reported that 13,392,975.00 pesos had been seized from the Banco Nacional to and including June 25, 1917. The dates of seizure were also given. The French Chargé d’Affaires to-day informs me that 6,089,862.46 pesos have been taken from the bank since that date. He is not yet able to furnish me with the dates of seizure and amounts, but I hope to be able to forward this data shortly. The total amount taken from the Banco Nacional, from December 22, 1916, to date, appears to be 19,482,837.46 pesos.
[Page 655]In enclosure No. 4 of the despatch above referred to, I gave the amounts taken from the Banco Nacional which had been deposited in that bank by various State banks of Mexico, as 5,559,654.00 pesos.
The French Chargé d’Affaires has also furnished me with the following data, without dates of seizure, however, of the total amounts of gold and silver taken from the French banks in Mexico, including their deposits in the Banco Nacional, but not including the amounts taken from the Banco Nacional, since the beginning of 1916:
| Pesos | |
| Banco de Zacatecas | 559,851.00 |
| Banco Mercantil de Vera Cruz | 1,020,950.00 |
| Banco de Tabasco | 407,543.62 |
| Banco Oriental de México | 6,198,779.48 |
| Banco Peninsular Mexicano, S. A | 2,980,000.00 |
| Banco del Estado de México | 1,023,949.00 |
| Banco de Guanajuato | 717,555.69 |
| Banco de Querétaro | 505,406.00 |
| 13,414,034.79 |
This amount, 13,414,034.79 pesos, added to the 19,482,837.46 pesos taken from the Banco Nacional, makes a total of 32,896,872.25 pesos taken from the French banks in Mexico since the beginning of 1916.
With the exception of some six million or more pesos worth of pesos fuertes which are reported to have been shipped to New York for sale, it is generally understood that the Mexican Government has devoted these funds so seized to covering the constantly recurring monthly deficits of the ordinary expenses of the Government, and that its present financial condition is largely due to the fact that no other similar funds are available.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩