Mexico City, Apr. 14.
The request of the British Govei ment for the return of the expropriated "properties of the Mexican Eagle Oil Company—in which British investors are largely interested—is flatly rejected in a strong reply sent yesterday by Gen. Lazaro Cardenas, the President, to the British Note of April The expropriation, the reply states, was carried out on the ground of public interest, and the Mexican Government could not admit that the severity of the measure was disproportionate to the exigencies of the situation, The Mexican Note vigorously denies the British Governments statement that the expropriation had a political character, and adds that the Mexican Eagle Company as a national entity was subject to the laws of Mexico and was not entitled to redress by foreign diplomatic intervention.
The Mexican Government regards the British Note simply as a protest, The Note alleges that the action of the foreign oil companies constituted contempt of court in face of the decision of the highest tribunal in the land (this refers to the upholding by the Supreme Court of Mexico of the labour board's ruling against the companies),
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.