CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922 — Page 131

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j

JAPAN.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[F 4272/223/23]

No. 1.

[November 21.]

SECTION 1.

Mr. Cummins to the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston.--(Received November 21.)

(No. 399.) My Lord,

Mexico, October 28, 1921. WITH reference to the Foreign Office circular of the 9th August last respecting legislation in Mexico in regard to immigration and the land-owning rights of Japanese, Chinese and other coloured races, I have the honour to transmit herewith translation of the reply which I have received from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in response to my enquiries on the subject. A translation of the recent decree ou the immigration of labourers, mentioned in the note from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, is also enclosed. I also beg to transmit the copies of the law of immigration and its by-laws,* which accompanied the note from the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Full translations of these pamphlets were enclosed in Sir Reginali Tower's despatches No. 176 of the 30th December, 1908, and No. 16 of the 1st March, 1909, respectively.

I have, &c.

H. A. CUNARD CUMMINS.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Minister for Foreign Affairs to Mr. Cummins.

(Translation.) Dear Mr. Cummins,

Mexico, October 19, 1921, WITH reference to your note of the 19th September last, I have the honour to inform you that there are no laws in Mexico intended to govern in any particular manner the property of negroes, Chinese, &c., and I confine myself to sending you a copy of the law, and another of the regulation of that law, on immigration, in accordance with your request, as also copy of a circular recently issued on the subject.

I have, &c.

(For the Minister),

AARON SAENZ, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

(Translation.)

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Circular from Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

To the diplomats and consuls of Mexico:

IN view of the prevailing conditions of want of employment in the majority of the countries in the world, the effects of which have been felt in Mexico, where the problem in like manuer has required to be considered by the Mexican Government, from the point of view of repatriating many thousands of Mexicans residing abroad, where, owing to the crisis, they are without work, and seeing that it is a duty of the Govern- ment to take steps to ensure the welfare of their nationals and for the protection of their working classes, the President of the Republic has been pleased to order that, so long as the present conditions of want of work subsist, foreign immigration of all such persons as would enter into competition with our labourers is hereby prohibited, and consequently you will be so good as to suspend absolutely the visa of passports for immigrant labourers, especially of the class known as "hands," and especially in the case of all such persons as cannot show proof to the satisfaction of your office that they are in possession of sufficient means of subsistence, either in the form of cash, property or a contract which guarantees them a means of livelihood.

*Not printed.

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