611.125/63
The Ambassador in Mexico ( Sheffield ) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 23.]
Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 499 of April 6, 1925,23 in which I alluded to the purpose of the United States Department of Agriculture to bring about a conference between representatives of the [Page 309] American and the Mexican Departments of Agriculture in order to discuss and formulate an agreement on various matters of mutual interest, I have the honor herewith to enclose for the Department’s confidential information copy of a letter from Doctor S. O. Fladness, Agricultural Commissioner here, to the Mexican Minister of Agriculture, dated April 5, last,24 together with translation of the reply of the Minister under date April 9.24
The Department will observe from this correspondence that it confirms an oral understanding arrived at in a conference between Doctor Fladness and Señor Leon in the recent past as a result of which it was informally agreed that, should the United States Government through diplomatic channels extend an invitation to the Mexican Government to send representatives to such a conference with representatives of the United States Department of Agriculture, the invitation would be accepted so far as the Minister of Agriculture could assume personal responsibility.
In this connection I beg leave to invite the Department’s attention to the fact that I learn from Doctor Fladness that, should such a conference come about, the Mexican Government may desire to include in the agenda questions of plant quarantine and similar matters not necessarily connected with the aims of the United States Department of Agriculture in holding the conference. Doctor Fladness has also suggested that in his recent conversation with the Mexican Minister of Agriculture the latter mentioned in passing the possibility of inviting Canada to attend the conference; in the opinion of the American Agricultural Commissioner this would complicate matters considerably and probably greatly delay the making of arrangements for the conference. …
As recently reported, the Mexican Government has accepted the invitation of the United States Department of Agriculture to send a representative to Washington for the purpose of studying the cattle industry and Doctor Fladness informs me that it may be advisable to discuss the preliminaries of the proposed conference with this representative, Doctor José Figueroa, during his forthcoming visit in the United States, which is expected to take place upon his return from the Argentine Republic.
In view of the importance of the proposed conference and the probable desire of the Mexican Government to take up in connection with it questions which the United States’ authorities may not wish to discuss, it is respectfully suggested that this phase of the question be given due consideration.
I have [etc.]