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230 if any, lands belonged to it within their respective commonwealths, what the fertility of such lands might be, and what would be a fair price. In short the government confessed a complete "lack of knowledge of the whereabouts of the national lands, due to the fact that they are not explored nor surveyed." Obviously it was "impossible that the central government should divide what it does not know of among settlers."

The answers received were disappointing. There was in no state any system of taking care of immigrants worthy the name and the state governments were as ignorant of where the national lands were as was the central government itself. All agreed that immigration of foreigners and foreign capital were needed to rouse Mexico from its inactivity but none had succeeded in attracting either. A series of letters to the agents of Mexico in foreign countries brought answers not more encouraging. Their general tenor was that Mexico could not hope to attract immigration so long as the United States offered lands on better terms. If the country put its house in order and could point out definite lands that would be given to foreigners, some might come. Even so, many would not come to Mexico because it was largely a tropical country and in the opinion of many immigrants wholly so.