Ever since the Mexican revolution of 1910, the US and Mexican governments were at odds over the issue of oil concessions in Mexico. On the eve of the US entry into the Second World War, Washington's position was becoming more difficult, as the Mexican government led a policy of nationalizing the oil industry, and assets of foreign oil companies were confiscated by it. The US government wished to avoid further confrontation with Mexico at a time President Franklin D. Roosevelt was preparing to enter the war against Hitler, and in an attempt to appease the Mexican government while assisting US oil industry, decided to remit all debts by the Mexican government to the US, which were mostly related to agricultural products.