812.52 Agrarian Commission/164
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of the American Republics (Bursley) to the Chief of the Division (Duggan)
Mr. Duggan: I telephoned Mr. Lawson and informed him of the Department’s willingness for him to proceed to Mexico City as soon as possible to continue with Mr. Serrano the discussions of agrarian claims. Mr. Lawson said that it was a fact that Mr. Serrano was quite ill. He also said that he had shown Mr. Serrano the list of 60 claims possessing no merit but that he had not yet presented a list of the 250, more or less, good claims because of the fact that Serrano apparently still has not had authority to discuss a global settlement without raising controversial matters, particularly Mexican corporation claims. Serrano had asked Mr. Lawson to present those claims [Page 961] upon which there could be agreement and then to take up the difficult ones later.
I told Mr. Lawson that the Mexican Ambassador on the evening of June 11 had told you that Serrano had full authority along the lines promised. Mr. Lawson said he doubted that Serrano had such instructions.
Mr. Lawson said he would telephone to Mr. Boal to express his willingness to proceed to Mexico City; he said he would ask Mr. Boal to check up on the nature of the instructions Serrano has or will have.