811.504 Mexico/7–1544
The Ambassador in Mexico ( Messersmith ) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 20.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that on July 5, 1944, a conversation was held at the residence of this Embassy between the Honorable Claude R. Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, Ingeniero Marte R. Gómez, Minister of Agriculture of Mexico, and at which were present Ingeniero Alfonso Gonzalez Gallardo, Undersecretary of Agriculture of Mexico, Mr. L. A. Wheeler, Director of Foreign Agricultural Relations, United States Department of Agriculture, Dr. L. D. Mallory, Agricultural Attaché of this Embassy and myself. The conversation was rather lengthy and revolved around two principal points. The first of these was the desire of the Minister of Agriculture to know what might be the attitude or plans of the United States respecting the post-war trade situation of agricultural products, especially those which would again come into highly competitive supply when the far eastern countries are liberated. The second point related to the return of agricultural laborers to Mexico who are presently working in the United States.
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Concerning the second point, the Minister explained that the return of Mexican laborers from the United States would pose an important problem to the Mexican Government. He said that it was hoped that new knowledge and skills learned by the laborers in the United States could be made useful to Mexico. He explained that the preoccupation of the President of the Republic was that the laborers should be given an opportunity to use any acquired skills and to avoid that the return of considerable numbers of them at any one time constitute a factor of political disturbance. It was of course understood by the Americans present that the Minister had in mind the considerably higher wages gained by the laborers in United States and the usual better [Page 1319] conditions of living which they have enjoyed. The Minister said that efforts should be made to establish some colonies on areas now being opened up and intimated that very possibly part of the lands which would be irrigated by the new Azucar Dam in the Rio Grande Valley would be so employed. The Minister’s principal request was for forecasts of the probable time when laborers would be returned to Mexico in substantial numbers. Secretary Wickard and Mr. Wheeler agreed that several agencies were involved in Washington, and that it would not be possible to obtain complete information from any one of them, but the Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations would endeavor to assemble information from time to time from the several agencies concerned for transmission to the Minister of Agriculture.
The two Secretaries of Agriculture had a full, frank and free discussion and I believe that the visit of Secretary Wickard to Mexico was worth while in promoting understanding and friendship.
Respectfully yours,