811.504 Mexico/8–2444
The Ambassador in Mexico (Messersmith) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 29.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy and translation of a memorandum dated August 17, 1944,20 from the Mexican Foreign Office, stating that the Ministry of Labor, in accordance with a resolution dictated by the President of the Republic, desires to designate ten special inspectors to investigate living and working conditions of Mexican workers employed as maintenance of way labor on railways in the United States.21 The Ministry of Labor desires that the War Manpower Commission take the necessary steps for the payment of subsistence and transportation of these inspectors, with the understanding that their salaries will be taken care of by the Government of Mexico.
It will be recalled that this question has been already brought to the attention of the War Manpower Commission by its representative here in Mexico; and that there has also been a certain amount of informal correspondence with officers of the Mexican Division in the Department. On August 22, the Minister for Foreign Affairs mentioned this matter to me and expressed the hope that an early favorable decision would be arrived at. I may add that, in my opinion, if we should fail to agree to the appointment of these inspectors and to [Page 1322] provide for the payment of their subsistence and transportation, it would seriously jeopardize the program of recruiting non-agricultural workers.
Respectfully yours,