412.00/114
Statement Issued to the Press by the Department of State, July 9, 1919
The attention of the Department of State has been called to an advertisement which appeared in the New York Sun of July 7, 1919, entitled “The Truth about Mexico,” calling attention of Americans to the Mexican Claims Commission authorized by decrees of President Carranza of November 24 and December 24, 1917,19 and suggesting that all who have claims cognizable by this Commission should make application at once for damages sustained.
In order that American citizens having claims against Mexico might not be misled by this advertisement the Acting Secretary of State points out that the Government of the United States has not accepted the Mexican Commission referred to in the decrees of November 24 and December 24, 1917, and has not advised American claimants to present their claims against Mexico to this Commission.
In response to a resolution of the Senate of February 7, 1919,20 with reference to claims against Mexico, the Department of State, replied on March 22, 1919:
“On November 24, 1917, President Carranza, by a decree, provided for the establishment of a Commission for the consideration of claims of foreigners against the Mexican Government and a Board of Arbitration to whom claimants dissatisfied with the awards of the Commission could appeal. This decree is still the subject of diplomatic negotiations with the Government of Mexico with a view to arranging a more speedy and satisfactory method of adjustment and payment of these claims and the Senate will be promptly advised of the result of these negotiations.”
On April 26, 1919, the American Chargé d’Affaires at Mexico City advised the Department that the President of the Mexican Claims Commission had stated that “the Commission does not have the power to make awards, but merely makes recommendations to the Federal Executive who will make the awards; that the Federal Executive has not made any awards up to the present time, because of the lack of full authorization by Congress, and that Congress will pass a law fully covering the subject during its next extraordinary session.”
[Page 637]The Department of State has not been advised that legislation fully covering the subject has been passed by the Mexican Congress.
- Ibid., 1918, pp. 793 and 797, respectively.↩
- Congressional Record, vol. 57, pt. 3 (65th Cong., 3d sess.), p. 2898.↩