812.77/12–2344

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

No. 22,087

Sir: Reference is made to my despatch No. 21,955 of December 13, 1944,34 in further connection with the proposal made in my note of September 21, 1944,35 a copy of which was transmitted to the Department with my despatch No. 20,288 of the same date, that as of December 31, 1944, no further commitments would be made by the Government of the United States for physical rehabilitation of the Mexican National Railways and that, as of January 1, 1945, we would confine ourselves to the collaboration of the U.S. Railway Mission in the technical field; but that we would, nevertheless, meet any commitments which we had undertaken for physical rehabilitation before December 31, 1944, if they were not completed during the present calendar year.

I now have the honor to transmit herewith a copy and translation of a note from the Mexican Foreign Minister, dated December 13, 1944,36 acknowledging mine of September 21, and accepting the terms [Page 1274] thereof as to the cessation of financial responsibility for the rehabilitation of the National Railways of Mexico.

It will be observed that the Foreign Minister states that according to the management of the National Railways, there are presently pending commitments by us for $100,000 for the establishment of a signal system on the Mexico-Queretaro Division and for $500,000 for the reconstruction of the Southeast Division (please see my despatch No. 21,538 of November 21,37 in which I brought to the attention of the Department of State the desire of the Mexican Government that we cooperate with the Mexican National Railways in this amount for the work on the Sureste,38 principally bridge reconstruction.

Respectfully yours,

George S. Messersmith
  1. Not printed.
  2. Note No. 3088; see footnote 32, p. 1269.
  3. Note No. 563247; for translation, see U.S. Railway Mission in Mexico, 1942–1946, p. 92.
  4. Not printed.
  5. The Sureste Railway, the connection with Guatemala and the south, had been severely damaged by heavy rains and floods.