811.504 Mexico/11
The Ambassador in Mexico (Messersmith) to the Assistant Chief of the Division of the American Republics (McGurk)
Dear Joe: The appended very long letter of July 19th,42 on the situation with regard to workers for Texas, was dictated on Sunday. On Monday, the 19th, Padilla asked me to the Foreign Office to talk over a number of things, and he had before him the letter from the Governor of Texas addressed to him on this labor matter and discriminations.43 [Page 561] Padilla said that Torres Bodet had informed him fully concerning the conversation which we had had a day or two before, and which is covered in my letter of July 19 hereto appended. Padilla said that he was in thorough agreement, of course, with what Torres Bodet had said concerning the difficulty of Mexico changing her position with regard to workers going to Texas. He also knew my thorough understanding of all the factors involved in the problem here and at home. It was unfortunate that this question of workers had arisen at this time when it was so difficult for Mexico to change her position but he had been giving the matter very careful thought since a long conversation which we had had some ten days ago, and he was very much influenced by the thought that failure of Mexico to let workers go might bring about a reaction of public opinion in Texas which would delay the solution of these problems of discriminations. He said that if they really needed these workers in Texas, and the Mexican Government did not let them go, and in this way discriminated against Texas, no matter what good reason she had for doing so, and it had such good reason, the refusal of Mexico could easily create a very bad popular opinion and reaction in Texas both among Government officials and among the people and thus bring about an exaggeration and perhaps an increase in discriminations.
He said that the interest of the Mexican Government, like ours, was to eliminate these discriminations as rapidly as possible. He thought that [there] were many things that the State Government, and officials, and people of Texas could do to remove these discriminations, which they had not done. He realized, however, their problem and he realized that there was good will among State officials and responsible people in Texas to remedy the situation which could not be done in a day. He thought, therefore, that neither Government should do anything to, in any way, exaggerate this situation or to give possible rise to renewed and increased discriminations by thoughtless and more or less irresponsible people whom it was difficult to control.
I can only tell you that the remarks of Padilla, which I have given only briefly, have even increased my opinion of him as a statesman. He is really a statesman and a man of great understanding and, in addition to that, is sincere in his desire to solve these problems. I told Padilla that while I had not mentioned the phase of the matter which he had just gone into that in my opinion it was the most important factor of all. I told him that I thought the best purposes of both Governments would be served by removing the ban on Texas—without regard as to whether there was any immediate need for the [Page 562] labor or not. I said that I had not mentioned this phase either to him or to Torres Bodet, but that it was the one factor in the Mexican order which really disturbed me, because if it were generally known in Texas that there is this ban, and Mexico persisted in it in spite of a real or apparent need for Mexican labor to save the cotton crop, it could easily result in a wave of resentment in Texas and interfere with the sound program which the State Government and sound people in Texas were trying to carry through. Padilla said that he was very much inclined to remove the ban and to run the risks of the local difficulties they might have here. He said he would talk with the President. With his support of his point of view he was sure that he could carry it over successfully here in Mexico. He said he would let me know as soon as he had talked with the President.
I wanted to get this additional word to you without delay. If the Mexicans do remove the ban, then we must make the most of it and will have to get some generous reactions in Texas, for it will really be a statesman-like act and a generous act on the part of Mexico, the importance of which, it is necessary that the War Manpower Commission, as well as the people of Texas, realize fully.
With all good wishes [etc.]