411.12/1158

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

No. 69

Sir: Referring to my telegram number 354 of December 22, 5 p.m., regarding the memorandum dated December 17th but received yesterday from the Foreign Office, relative to the time and place of meeting of the General and Special Claims Commissions, United States and Mexico, I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of the Spanish and English original texts as received by me. I received two copies each of the English and Spanish texts, and I have returned two identical original copies (one English, one Spanish) to the Foreign Office after having initialed them.

I also transmit herewith a copy of a memorandum which I submitted to the Foreign Office on December 17th,34 on which Mr. Vázquez Schiaffino’s memorandum is presumably based. In returning Mr. Vázquez Schiaffino’s memorandum to the Foreign Office with my initials, Mr. Lane pointed out that there was one apparently unimportant discrepancy between the English and Spanish texts of his memorandum, namely, in the English text the word “periods” appears on line 12 of Enclosure No. 2 to this despatch, while in the Spanish text, on line 14 of Enclosure No. 3, the words “etapas ó períodos” (stages or periods) are used.

Respectfully yours,

J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
[Enclosure]

Copy of English Text of a Memorandum Presented by the Mexican Foreign Office, and Initialed by Mr. Vázquez Schiaffino and Ambassador Clark

Memorandum

It is agreed that the General and Special Claims Commissions between the United States and Mexico shall hold their forthcoming sessions as hereinafter provided.

1. The Special Claims Commission shall meet in Mexico City on or about February first, 1931, and shall continue in session there until on or about May first, 1931.

At the request of the Mexican Government, the Government of the United States agrees that it will not present to the Commission during the session provided for, any case involving acts of Villa or his followers committed during such periods when his official relationship to the Mexican Government was of doubtful character, nor any acts of Victoriano Huerta during the period from February 19, 1913, to July [Page 508] 19, 1914. It is understood and agreed that by withholding these cases from the consideration of the Commission during the sessions provided for above, the Governments of the United States and Mexico do not waive any of their rights with reference to such cases, which are to be in no way prejudiced by such postponement.

2. The General Claims Commission shall meet in Washington on or about May 5, 1931, and shall continue in session until on or about July 15, 1931.

At the request of the Mexican Government, the Government of the United States agrees that it will not present to the Commission during the session above provided for, any case based upon the taking of land for agrarian purposes under the agrarian laws. It is understood and agreed that by withholding these cases from the consideration of the Commission during the session above provided for, the Governments of the United States and Mexico do not waive any of their rights with reference to such cases, which are to be in no way prejudiced by such postponement.


  • Vazffino
  • JRC
  1. Not printed.