611.1256/11–2447: Telegram

The Ambassador in Mexico ( Thurston ) to the Secretary of State

restricted

1324. Mexican-American Aftosa Commission today agreed upon following recommendations: Mexican Section has presented text to Foreign Office which tomorrow will communicate to Embassy by note. Embassy requires immediate instructions to enable it complete exchange of notes endorsing recommendations.

“The session of November 24, 1947.

On this date in the offices of the Mexican–US Commission For the Eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease, 5 de Febrero, 73 Mexico D.F., the following representatives of Mexico and the US met at 5 p.m.: for Mexico, Lic. Oscar Flores, Dr. Ignacio de la Torre, Drs. José Figuero, Federico Rubio Lozano and Lauro Ortega; for the US, Dr. M. S. Shahan, Mr. Don Stoops, Drs. L. R. Noyes, F. M. Shigley and Mr. R. M. Gottfried.

The Mexican Section proposed that in view of the fact that inspections that have been carried out indicate that apparently clean zones which had not been reported with outbreaks of foot and mouth disease are actually infected, and even though the only proven method of rapid and infallible eradication is that of destruction, but considering that the destruction of the great number of susceptible animals in the infected zone would mean a tremendous economical and social impact to the country, it is necessary so as to better control and to continue on progressive eradication to adopt a combined plan of quarantines, vaccination, and destruction when necessary.

As a result of this proposition, and after an ample exchange of impressions, the following recommendations were approved:

1st: Although it is recognized that the only proved effective method by which foot and mouth disease can be eradicated is by slaughter, and although the Mexican-US Commission for the eradication of the foot and mouth disease has for the past 7 months exerted all the means at its disposal to overcome the existence of this disease in Mexico by the slaughter method, inherent conditions beyond the Commission’s control have prevented accomplishment of this purpose to that degree which would justify the continuation of the slaughter method alone. [Page 822] Therefore, in view of these conditions and the economic and social consequences of the continuation of the present method, it is agreed that a plan of combined quarantine, vaccination and, when necessary, slaughter should be adopted.

2nd: It is proposed that the details of this plan of operations be immediately developed and applied by the Mex-US Commission for the Eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease.

3rd: That the aforementioned resolution be brought to the attention of the two governments.

For Mexico: Lic. Oscar Flores, Ignacio de la Torre, Federico Rubio Lozano, José Figuero, Lauro Ortega.

For the United States: N. E. Dodd, B. T. Simms, M. S. Shahan, Don Stoops.”

Repeat to Agriculture.46

Thurston
  1. By an exchange of notes of November 24 and November 26, 1947, the United States and Mexico agreed to these recommendations; for texts of notes, see TIAS No. 2404.