Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The American Republics, Volume VII

711.1216M/11–2244

The Acting Secretary of State to President Roosevelt

Washington, November 22, 1944.

The President: The undersigned, the Acting Secretary of State, has the honor to lay before the President, with a view to its transmission to the Senate to receive the advice and consent of that Body to ratification, if his judgment approve thereof, a protocol, signed in Washington on November 14, 1944,³⁴ supplementary to the treaty between the United States of America and the United Mexico States relating to the utilization of the waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) which was signed in Washington on February 3, 1944.

The treaty of February 3, 1944 was transmitted to the Senate by the President with his message of February 15, 1944, with a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification thereof. The texts of the treaty and of the President’s message, together with the text of the report of the Secretary of State dated February 9, 1944, have been printed in Senate Executive A, 78th Congress, 2d Session. The treaty was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate on February 15, 1944.

The purpose of the protocol is to clarify the meaning and application of those provisions of the treaty which relate to the functions and jurisdiction of the respective Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission in connection with the construction or use of works for storage or conveyance of water, flood control, stream gaging, or for any other purpose.

By its own terms the protocol is to be regarded as an integral part of the treaty of February 3, 1944 and shall be effective beginning with the day of the entry into force of the treaty, continuing effective so long as the treaty remains in force. Accordingly, after such time as the Senate may have given its advice and consent to the ratification of the treaty and protocol, the protocol should be ratified together with the treaty. It is provided in the protocol, as in the treaty, that the ratifications shall be exchanged in Washington.³⁵

Respectfully submitted,

Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.

34. This protocol is the final revision of the draft joint memorandum of June 10 by the two Boundary Commissioners, printed on p. 1380.
35. Ratifications were exchanged November 8, 1945. For text of treaty and protocol, see Department of State Treaty Series No. 994, or 59 Stat. (pt. 2) 1219.