711.1216M/498

The Mexican Embassy to the Department of State

[Translation40]

On Saturday last—the 22d of this month—the Embassy heard that on the 27th there would be held at this capital a conference that was to pass upon the pending questions relative to the distribution and use of the waters of the Colorado River, and the Secretary of the Legation immediately hastened to make the information known, by telephone, to the Chief of the Division of Mexican Affairs of the Department of State, begging him, if the information were correct, to see that the legitimate rights of Mexico in the settlement of those questions be borne in mind. The Chief of the Division of Mexican Affairs kindly told the Secretary of the Embassy, by telephone also, that he had no knowledge that the above-mentioned conference was to be held but would make inquiries on the subject and would communicate in good time all pertinent information.

Later, the Embassy of Mexico heard that a conference of representatives of seven States and of the Government of the United States of North America was about to meet somewhere in the West of this country, to discuss and propose the storage and distribution among those States of the waters of the said Colorado River and of the power that might be derived from them.

In the short space of time available to the Embassy it could not ascertain whether through some error of one of its informants the report it had received related to one and the same conference or whether there were actually to be two conferences, one in this capital and the other somewhere in the West; but in either case the Embassy, under instructions of an urgent character which it has received to that effect, has the honor to have recourse to the Department of State to the end that, in consideration of the fact that Mexico holds interests and rights that are established beyond question over part of the waters of the Colorado River, by virtue of the original boundary treaties and of the actual use it makes of those waters on a very large scale, Mexico be allowed to take in the said conference or conferences the part that belongs to it by right. In doing so, the Embassy of Mexico ventures to bring to the special [Page 519] notice of the Department of State that the greater part of the land benefited by the waters of the river is owned by American companies or citizens, to whom it is the Mexican Government’s duty and desire to extend, as demanded by the treaties and the invariable sentiments of equity and courtesy that have ever animated it, the same protection as it accords to the national companies and citizens of the Republic.

The Embassy feels sure that this request will be given the proper favorable attention and respectfully asks the Department of State kindly to furnish it as promptly as may be necessary with full information as to the place or places where the conference or conferences above referred to will be held, the date, and any other pertinent information.

On this occasion, the Embassy of Mexico takes pleasure in renewing to the Department of State the assurances of its most distinguished consideration.

  1. File translation revised.