811.504 Mexico/3–846
The Ambassador in Mexico ( Messersmith ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 15.]
Sir: Reference is made to the Embassy’s despatch no. 28,704 of March 2, 1946, entitled “Recruiting of Mexican Agricultural Workers Under the Agreement of April 26, 1943”94 with which were transmitted a memorandum of a conversation between Ambassador Messersmith and Colonel Buie of the Department of Agriculture as well as two memoranda of amendments to the individual worker’s agreement and administrative measures prepared by the Mexican Minister of Labor for discussion prior to the inauguration of the recruiting program.
I now have the honor to inform the Department that Colonel Buie left Mexico for Washington this morning in order to inform the Secretary of Agriculture as to the results of his negotiations with officials in the Ministry of Labor. Colonel Buie has informed the Embassy that following his last conversation with Licenciado Fernández del Campo of the Ministry of Labor he inquired whether he could inform Secretary Anderson that agreement had been reached on all the points raised by the Minister of Labor and was told that he could so advise Mr. Anderson. Colonel Buie added that the only question still outstanding [Page 1025] was that of the minimum wage guarantee. The Mexicans had suggested that this guarantee be placed at 50 cents per hour and Colonel Buie’s counterproposal, which he thinks will be acceptable, is at the rate of 37 cents an hour.
Although Colonel Buie has returned to Washington Mr. Howard Preston, the Deputy Director of the Office of Labor, Department of Agriculture, is still in Mexico and will clear up final details of the negotiations.
Respectfully yours,
First Secretary of Embassy
- Not printed.↩