Editorial Note

On August 11, 1951, the United States and Mexico exchanged notes in Mexico City placing into effect a new agreement concerning the employment of Mexican agricultural workers in the United States. These notes were transmitted to the Department of State under cover of despatch 429, August 15, 1951, not pictured (811.06M/8–1551). For the text of the agreement, see United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (UST), volume 2 (pt. 2), page 1940. For the text of a press release on the agreement, see Department of State Bulletin, August 27, 1951, page 336.

The new agreement replaced a previous one dated August 1, 1949 which had been discontinued as of July 15, 1951, at the request of the Mexican Government. For information on the earlier agreement, see editorial note printed in Foreign Relations, 1949, volume II, page 686. For text of that agreement, see 2 UST 1048. The Mexican note requesting discontinuance had been transmitted to the Department under cover of despatch 1 from Mexico City, July 2, 1951, not printed (811.06M/7–251).

Negotiations leading to the Migrant Labor Agreement of 1951 had been facilitated by President Truman’s signature of Public Law 78 on July 12, 1951. For text of this law, which authorized the United States Government, inter alia, to guarantee the performance by employers of their employment contracts with Mexican workers, see 65 Stat. 119. For the President’s special message to Congress, July 13, 1951, concerning the law, and also requesting legislation to prevent the illegal entry of migrant workers into the United States, see Department of State Bulletin, July 30, 1951, page 197. Pertinent documents are in decimal file 811.06M.