The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, July 1924 - April, 1925 Page: 37

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Recognition of Diaz Government by United States

lions of dollars;' this sum Mexico was obligated to pay to the
United States government in annual installments of $300,000,
the first of which was due on January 31, 1877.8 While the
formal report was not presented until December 14, 1876, its
main provisions must have been known earlier, for, on the very
day of the establishment of his provisional government, Diaz, in
trying to arrange a loan from merchants and capitalists of Mex-
ico City, announced his intention to pay to the United States
the first installment of $300,000 when it became due the follow-
ing January. American Minister John W. Foster, in Mexico
City, promptly reported this to Washington as indicative of the
intentions of the Diaz government with respect to the Mixed
Claims Commission.9 Foster's judgment was not ill-founded, as
will be seen.
Though Diaz did not make this stand with respect to the Mixed
Claims Commission the basis for requesting the recognition by
the United States of his provisional government, but, instead,
was disposed to await the outcome of the February elections be-
fore making such a request, it is interesting that the Grant ad-
ministration, embarrassed at the prospect of not being able to
collect a $300,000 installment of an indemnity from a govern-
ment which it had not recognized, even gave Minister Foster dis-
cretional authority to recognize the Diaz provisional government.
This interesting authorization to Mr. Foster came about in the
following way.
'"Protocol" of Fish and Mariscal, Washington, Dec. 14, 1876, in ibid., p.
389. Bancroft, It. H.-History of Mexico, VI (San Francisco, 1888),
pp. 443-444-says that "the result of this lengthy investigation, which
cost over $300,000, was that awards were made against Mexico in favor
of United States citizens to the amount of $4,125,622, while $150,498
was awarded to Mexican claimants, the latter sum to be deducted from
Mexico's liability, which was to be paid by yearly installments of $300,-
000, to begin January 31, 1877."
"Fish to Foster, Washington, Dec. 20, 1876, in House Ex. Does., 45
Cong., 2 sess., I, Foreign Relations (serial no. 1793), doc. no. 1, pt. 1,
p. 388. "Diplomacy between the United States and Mexico Concerning
the Mixed Claims Commission, 1868-1892," is the title of a manuscript
thesis presented in partial fulfillment for the Master of Arts degree at
the University of Texas in 1922 by Miss Mattie Ella Cravens. This
thesis, written under the supervision of the author of this monograph,
gives a very comprehensive account of the whole Mixed Claims contro-
versy.
'Foster to Fish, Mexico, November 28, 1876, in House Em. Does., 45
Cong., 2 sess., I, Foreign Relations (serial no. 1793), doe. no. 1, pt. 1,
p. 385.

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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, July 1924 - April, 1925, periodical, 1925; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101087/m1/41/ocr/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.

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