The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-15
OUR COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.
The '.'Free Zone" and Its Effect on Trade Be-
tween Mexico and the United States.

WASHINGTON, D1arcn l4.--fOr SOmo Il1n-
utes after the reading of yesterdays Jour
nal the Senate sat without any business
being brought before it; then motion was
made by Mr.. Edmunds, and agreed to, that
when the adjournment takes place, to-day,
it be till Monday. That arrangement
having been made, the Senate proceeded to
consideration of executive business.
While the Senate was sitting with closed
doors, Mr.. Gibson's resolution was taken
up for the appointment of select commit
tee of seven Senators on the relations of the
United States with Mexico and Central
America, and Mr.. Gibson spoke in support
of it. If there were any just ground, he
said, for the formation of like committee
on relations with Canada, the grounds were
surely as strong and as imperative in re-
gard to Mexico. Mexico was a republic
the nearest neighbor to the United States
and should be made the firm friend Of this
country. That was the primary object of
his resolution. He desired the Mexican
people to feel that the people of the United
States desired their cordial and fraternal
friendship 1t was of the utmost inn
portance that the people of Mexico
should cease to cherish jealousy of the peO-
pie of the United States or those resent
ments natural to them that grew out of
the war by which the United States had
come into possession of more than half of
their territory. The friendship of Mexico
was needed in order to uphold and main
tain, across the Isthmus of Panama and in
respect to Central America, the Monroe
doctrine, and it was quite as important to
that doctrine should be maintained by the
United States in the face of the hostile ag-
gression of Germany. France or Great Brit
am. But irrespective OF that. 1T was I'M
the people of Mexico in order to develop
American trade with that people. Mexico
contained an area of 742, 14S square miles;
extended for sevecal thousand miles along
and had population of nearly ten and q
half millions. The value of its .agricul-
tural products was about $50, ,000,-
600 year, and it was directly
connected by railroad with the United
States. 1t seemed to him that it was the
duty of the Senate to appoint committee
to ascertain what the hindrances we're to
the development of trade between the
United States and Mexico. Why was it
that France sent into Mexico double the
there? If there were good reasons for de-
veloping trade relations with Canada,
where there was population of only 1900 :
600, there was still stronger reason for de-
NelOplug UQeIu Win MEXICO, Wucr6 U1er6
was a population OF over ten millions.
Another reason for the appointment of the
proposed commission was the existence of
the free zone" between Mexico and the
United States, in which zone" there were
constant irregularities, revenue frauds. dis
turbances of the public peace. disorders and
tumults.
Mr. Morrill, Tin satirical tons) expressed
the hope that if snch committee were ap-
pointed the chair would not forget him, as
bax ffSv lra fviy> fpM n
palace car with buffet. But seriously if
the matter were to be considered by any
committee at all it should be either by the
committee on commerce or the committee
on finance. He hoped, therefore, that the
resolution would be referred to one of these
committees.
Mr.. Platt moved the reference of the
resolution to the committee on commerce.
Mr. Reagan advocatedt the adoption of the
resolution. The free zone," he said, was
territory about ten miles wide. running
from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Ell
Paso, a distance of six or seven hundred
miles. 1t had operated to embarrass COM
merce in various ways, and it was neces-
sary to have some steps taken to prevent
smuggling into both countries. The forays,
robberies and murders that were so COM
mon In that zone few years ago no longer
existed to the same extent, but commercial
decentralization, growing out of that free
ZOne," increased with the growth of the
country. He fully agreed with the Senator
from Louisiana as to the great Importance
of cultivating the most friendly relations
with Mexico.
Mr.. Hoar, referring to Mr.. Gibson's re-
mark as to Mexico's loss of territory as the
result of the war with the United States,
expressed his idea that the Mexican people
| knew that that war had not been approved
| by very large portion of the American
| people; also, that they were not forgetful
| of the fact that the European invasion
which had resulted in establishment of the
empire under Macmillan had been ended
| by word from the State Department at
Washington at the close of the American
civil war. He did not think that any mod
| ern nation had conferred on any other ma
tion an obligation equal TO that conferred
| by the United States on Mexico when the
empire under Macmillan disappeared.
Mr.. Call favored the adoption of the res
olution and opposed the motion of refer
ence. The question of the annexation OF
acquisition of the island of Cuba was. he
| said, present to the mind of q largo portion
of the people of the United States. He had
| recently had various letters on that sub.
! ject, showing that public attention was be,
| ing directed 10 it. Ii it was important TO
ascertain the commercial relations. present
| or prospective, between Canada and the
| United States, it certainly was equally i'm
portant to ascertain them in regard to Cuba
| and Mexico.
Mr.. Hale objected to the further consider
| alton of the subject, the Senate being in
| executive session, and the Senate, at 125(
| took recess tlll =. NJ, and at $40 ad
| journed until Monday.