July to September, 1949, 1949

The International Executive Agreement with Mexico was signed on August 1; the papers include a 12-page analysis of the pact by Galarza (Aug. 15) and an exchange between Mitchell and USES Director Robert C. Goodwin on the bracero program (Aug. 22; Sept. 19). On the NFLU legislative program, see especially a letter from Alabama Congressman George Grant on H.R. 5557 (July 15), and a detailed letter from Mitchell to Cong. Helen Gahagan Douglas on the various proposals before Congress concerning farm wages (Aug. 11). The overwhelming topic in the papers for September is the NFLU strike of 30,000 cotton pickers in the San Joaquin Valley in California. In addition to the numerous telegrams and press releases on the strike throughout the lengthy report which appear during October (Oct. 3,20). There is also a mimeographed copy of a letter from Mitchell to President Truman, requesting him to appoint a Presidential Commission to investigate the plight of the nation's farm workers (Sept 28)