811.504/2401

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. W. G. MacLean of the Division of the American Republics

Participants: Judge Cullen Briggs of Nueces County, Texas. Messrs. McGurk and MacLean, RA.

Judge Briggs came in late yesterday afternoon at the suggestion of Congressman Kleberg38 and outlined the efforts he had made in Mexico City, San Antonio and Austin toward smoothing the way for Texas to secure agricultural workers from Mexico under the agreement of August 4, 1942. He said that the Governor of Texas had issued a proclamation based on the concurrent resolution of the Texas Legislature, proclaiming the Good Neighbor Policy as the public policy of the State of Texas. He stated that the Governor is willing to take further steps to combat racial discrimination in Texas to satisfy the Mexican Government, which was opposing the movement of workers to Texas because of its belief that discrimination against Mexicans there was excessive.

Judge Briggs said that in Washington he had taken the question up with officials of the War Food Administration and others and that two things were now being done in Texas looking toward an early formal [Page 559] request for Mexican workers: (1) the Extension Service in Texas was being asked to certify the shortage of workers in Texas and the need to bring them in from Mexico, and (2) a fund was being raised by interested growers which would be used in combating racial discrimination, if necessary through the courts. He stated that it was his opinion that the Concurrent Resolution of May 7 and the Governor’s proclamation of June 25 would support civil cases on this subject.

Judge Briggs impressed the officers of the Department with his sincerity and his determination both to get workers from Mexico for Texas and to see that racial discrimination was removed as an obstacle to their coming.

Mr. McGurk reviewed for Judge Briggs the development of the agreements to secure workers from Mexico, emphasizing the insistence of the Mexican Government on certain of the conditions contained therein which were held necessary for the protection of the workers and to avoid abuses which might adversely affect friendly relations between the two countries.

  1. Richard M. Kleberg of Texas.