411.12/926a
The Acting Secretary of
State to the Mexican Chargé (Campos-Ortiz)
Washington, June 17, 1929.
Sir: By the terms of the Convention signed by
the United States and Mexico on August 16, 1927,99 extending the period for the
adjudication of claims before the General Claims Commission provided for
by the Convention concluded between the United States and Mexico on
September 8, 1923,1 the life
of the Commission will expire on August 30, 1929.
By the terms of the Special Claims Convention, concluded between the two
Governments on September 10, 1923,2 the life of the Commission provided for in
that Convention will expire August 17, 1929.
The necessity for extending the period for the operation of these
commissions due to the present state of their work, of which a large
part remains unfinished, will readily occur to your Government. I,
therefore, have the honor to enclose drafts of two conventions3 extending for a further
period not exceeding two years, in each case, the time allowed for the
adjudication of the claims covered by the respective conventions.
I shall appreciate it if you will inform the Department at your earliest
convenience whether these drafts are satisfactory to your Government and
if so whether it will be prepared to sign the conventions at an early
date.
Accept [etc.]
[Enclosure]
Draft Convention Between the United States and
Mexico Extending Duration of the General Claims Commission
Provided for in the Convention of September 8, 1923
Whereas a convention was signed on
September 8, 1923, between the United States of America and the
United Mexican States for the settlement and amicable adjustment of
certain claims therein defined; and
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Whereas under Article VI of said convention
the Commission constituted pursuant thereto was required to hear,
examine and decide within three years from the date of its first
meeting all the claims filed with it, except as provided in Article
VII, and
Whereas by a convention concluded between
the two Governments on August 16, 1927, the time for hearing,
examining and deciding the said claims was extended for a period of
two years; and
Whereas it now appears that the said
Commission cannot hear, examine and decide such claims within the
time limit thus fixed;
The President of the United States of America and the President of
the United Mexican States are desirous that the time thus fixed for
the duration of the said Commission should be further extended, and
to this end have named as their respective plenipotentiaries, that
is to say:
- The President of the United States of America, Honorable
Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of State of the United States;
and
- The President of the United Mexican States,
Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full
powers found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following
articles:
Article I
The High Contracting Parties agree that the term assigned by Article
VI of the Convention of September 8, 1923, as extended by Article I
of the Convention concluded between the two Governments on August
16, 1927, for the hearing, examination and decision of claims for
loss or damage accruing prior to August 30, 1927, and filed with the
Commission prior to said date, shall be, and the same is hereby
extended for a further period not exceeding two years from August
30, 1929, the date on which pursuant to the provisions of the said
Article I of the Convention of 1927, the functions of the said
Commission would terminate in respect of such claims.
It is agreed that nothing contained in this Article shall in any wise
alter or extend the time originally fixed in the said Convention of
September 8, 1923, for the presentation of claims to the Commission,
or confer upon the Commission any jurisdiction over any claim for
loss or damage accruing subsequent to August 30, 1927.
Article II
The present Convention shall be ratified and the ratifications shall
be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible.
In witness whereof the above-mentioned Plenipotentiaries have signed
the same and affixed their respective seals.
Done in duplicate at the City of Washington, in the English and
Spanish languages, this . . . . . day of . . . . . in the year one
thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine.
