312.1113 Sustaita, Antonio/26
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Mexico (Daniels)
The receipt is acknowledged of your despatch No. 3897 of August 31, 1936,97 with which you enclosed a copy and translation of a note from the Mexican Foreign Office, dated July 13, 1936, advising with respect to representations made by your Embassy concerning the murder of Antonio Sustaita, an American citizen, on June 10, 1934, [Page 701] that the appropriate authorities have been instructed to see that justice is strictly applied in this matter and in case the sentence imposed upon the murderer can not be changed, to demand responsibility, if the case should arise, of the officials found guilty in connection with that sentence.
It is observed that the Foreign Office makes no mention of the payment of a suitable indemnity to the family of Mr. Sustaita, notwithstanding the oral representations made by your Embassy under instructions from the Department on this point. Therefore, referring to the Department’s instruction No. 1105 of May 27, 1936,98 in which you were directed to press for a prompt settlement in this matter, it is desired that you again bring it to the attention of the Foreign Office this time in a note embodying the substance of the Department’s instruction of May 27. In this relation, you will please request to be specifically informed whether Mexican law provides for the reopening of the case against the murderer of Mr. Sustaita which was apparently closed by the decision of the Supreme Court of the State of Tamaulipas following which the murderer was liberated from prison, September 22, 1934, after spending approximately three months therein.
Very truly yours,