811.504 Mexico/361
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Mexico ( Messersmith )
Sir: Reference is made to approximately 2,000 Mexican agricultural workers who entered the United States under Section 5(g) of Public Law 4588 during the first two weeks in May 1943. The individuals in question were documented for one year, and the Department has been informed that when that period has expired the Immigration and Naturalization Service plans to repatriate them, beginning about May 15.
The Department has been approached on this subject by the Honorable Clinton P. Anderson of New Mexico and the Honorable R. E. Thomason of Texas,89 who are interested in having these workers continue in their present employment. They have been informed that the Mexican Government has consistently opposed any recruiting of agricultural workers outside of the agreement of August 4, 1942 as revised on April 26, 1943 and that it would therefore be of no avail for the Department to take up with the Mexican Government a request for permission to extend the documentation of these workers [Page 1304] for another year under Section 5(g) of Public Law 45 or under the parallel section of Public Law 229.90
Mr. Anderson then requested the Department orally, later confirmed in writing, to approach the Mexican Government to secure permission for the contracting of some 300 of these workers now in New Mexico under the agreement of April 26, 1943. He was informed that the Department would make such an approach if the War Food Administration, the administrative agency of this Government under the agreement, would join in the request and signify its willingness to contract these workers and to assure them all the guarantees of the international agreement under reference.
In a letter dated March 17, 1944, a copy of which is enclosed,91 the War Food Administration has now requested the Department to approach the Mexican Government on this question. In discussing this matter with an officer of the Department, officials of the Administration have stated that they are ready to contract all or any part of these workers for whom the Mexican Government is willing to extend permission. It was further stated that if permission was not given for the contracting of the group for New Mexico it would immediately be necessary to replace them, at considerable expense, by bringing in workers contracted in Mexico City. The officials of the Administration also stated that contracts would be extended only to those individuals who wished to accept them and that intervention in the contracting process by representatives of the Mexican Government would be entirely acceptable, whether those representatives were especially named for the task or were Mexican Consuls or labor inspectors now in the United States.
You are requested, in your discretion, to approach the Mexican Government on this subject with a view to securing the desired permission for the contracting of all or part of the approximately 2,000 workers under reference so that they may continue in the regions where they are now employed. It will be appreciated if this matter is presented to the Mexican Government on an urgent basis so that the appropriate agencies of this Government may complete the necessary plans to contract any or all of these workers or to replace them by other workers, if possible, in order that there may be no interruption in the production of the important crops which are in their care.
Very truly yours,