812.6363/1309
The Chargé in Mexico (Summerlin) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 18.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department’s mail instruction No. 2283 of November 25, 1922, in regard to my despatch No. 6420 of October 12, 1922, enclosing the text and translation of a draft of a Petroleum Bill, and reporting that on October 10th, in a private conversation with Mr. Pani, he had stated that the Department’s observations and comment on the draft might be helpful to the Mexican authorities, and in regard to my personal letter to the Chief of the Division of Mexican Affairs, dated [Page 708] October 19th, in which I reported that Mr. Pani had informed me, on the night of the 18th of October, that: “they would welcome ‘honest criticism’ of the proposed Law”.
I have the honor to report that I complied with the Department’s instruction above mentioned, in a personal interview at noon to-day. Mr. Pani replied in English: “that is all right if that was your understanding”. I replied: “Yes, it was”, and then recalled to him that the first conversation regarding the matter took place at the reception of the Chinese Legation on October 10th, and the second, at his (Mr. Pani’s) own house at the reception tendered Japanese Naval Officers on October 18th. Mr. Pani nodded his head, but made no comment.
I have [etc.]