The Washington herald., 1908-03-15

ship feet now at Magdaleaa Bay, Lower
California. and in the territory or Mexico,
viii be likely TO think harshly Of Presi-
dent James Buchanan, of the United
States, before their ships have slipped
into the Pacific again. bound for San
Francisco. on the last leg Of their long
cruise around the two Americas, says the
New York World.
With a foot rule and pencil. Mr..
Buchanan, then Secretary OF State. ac-
cording 10 tradition, drew the line which
now marks the boundary between The
United States and Mexico from the Pa
cifc eastward.
II he had claimed for the victorious
States the peninsula Of Lower California
there would not have been a syllable Of
added protest from defeated Mexico
Not Thought worth Having.
Il was then known only as desert
waste. peopled by fierce aborigines. who
resented even peaceful invasion with rlur-
derous hostility. It was as little known
to the Mexicans as TO the people-and
apparently 70 the statesmen-of this coun-
try
Neither thought il was worth having
( and President Buchanan did not claim it
because. probably, it never occurred 70
him to do SO. Mexico kept it. not because
she wanted il, but because no one came
/ along and asked for IL
! Therefore. Mexico holds to-day as her
| territory one of the finest haTbOrs in the
world. that OF Magdalena Bay. This is
the natural point OF call for all ships
bound for the Orient which shall pass
/ through the Panama Canal Il has
| strategic advantages which would Make
an enemy OF the United States in posses
sion CT the bay more formidable than any
other advantage OF position could afford.
| Should the coming years bring war with
a Pacific power and hostile fleet dash
into Magdalena Bay, IL would be impreg
nable there, and could remain for prac-
tically an indenite period. II would re-
Quire the better part Of the present naval
/ strength of the United States 10 keep an
enemys fleet bottled up in Magdalena
Bay.
what an Enemy Might Do.
II the American fleet were withdrawn.
the enemy's could make dashes up and
down the coast. lombard San Diego and
Los Angeles rayage shipping. haunt the
outlet Of the Panama Canal, and in gem
eral tie the hands Of the United States in
that ocean.
During the month that Admiral Evans
and the feet remain in the bay there will
/ be few eyes aboard the ships which Will
not mark the magnificent channel. almost
q mile wide straight as need be. and df-
verging only 70 bring its deep waters IN
/ der the protection Of the outer peninsula
I forming the bay and adding 10 the ad-
| vantageS Of any force seeking 10 hold il
against an enemy.
/ With its sixteen square miles Of the
finest anchorage. thirty TO forty feet deep
and lis narrow inlet. II viii show 10 the
American sailors daily its tremendous
( strategic importance They will learn
| that food supplies TO support an enemy
for years may be found in the fertile val
leys a few miles back from the coast. on
/ the mainland.
The waters furnish the finest edible fish
| in superintendent supply. a hostile fleet
/ bottled up there would need 20 burn only
/ enough coal 20 cook food and cOrdense
water. for Of water alone there is no ade-
Guate supply at Magdalena Bay.
OF No TSe TO Mexico
/ II it were left TO the vote of the present
/ few thousand inhabitants OF Lower Cali
fornia they would probably be in favor OF
being added with their whole territory TO
the United States. Mexico collects a
small tax from Lower California, but
spends not a peso there
The men OF the Mexican administra-
ton regard il as a mere sandy waste.
! valuelesS for commercial exploitation
( They are in no ignorance. however. Of
/ the strategic advantages Of Magdalena
Bay.
No Chance for Americans.
Perhaps If the restless and so often re-
sistless flow Of emigration of Americans
could find an outlet into the peninsula OF
Lower California the time might come
when the first alarm or war would find
! the shores of MagdaIena Bay peopled
with Americans living under Mexican
/ rule, but ready and eager TO show where
| they stood if their home country were in
trouble. Fill Lower California with such
/ a migrated population and il is easy TO
/ forsee an undeniabIe demand from its
] people for annexation 20 the United
! States.
/ This cannot be. and Mexican laws are
not its only or greatest obstacles. There
( Is every reason 10 believe that the British
/ government, has long foreSeen just such
1 a possibility and has secretly supported
! the occupation OF the border lands by
! British citizens who, as employees Of a
/ Mexican corporation. do nothing the year
round but draw their pay and see 20 il
/ that no outsider buys a foot Of ground or
/ finds any inducement to settle.
Prohibition Upon Aliens.
/ The Mexican laws prohibit aliens from
owning any Mexican territory within six
| leagues of the land border line between it
and another country, or within three miles
OF the coast. In addition II this the en-
tire coast line of Lower California. in
/ cluding Magdalena Bay. is owned by Mex
/ lean corporations whose stockholders are
/ 80 per cent British.
/ OF the largest of the tracts held by
/ these corporations there is no industry
I in such operation as would Justify the
| retention Of the lands under the most
I economical plan of Payment for care
\ takers But the lands are preserved and
/ have plenty of caretakers.
! No American receives the slightest en-
/ couragement 10 stay in the country and
not an acre of the land can be bought
from the corporation. Its tract lies Ike
an impossible dixie between the United
4 States and the Lower California penin-
/ sula, whose rich alluvial soil is now moth
/ ing but a desert where rain seldom falls
cAtSLei NiitA every Aour or I'VE years, out
which irrigation would turn into lust such
Towering paradise as the country about
/ San Diego and Los Angeles is. where
/ the lands have been irrigated by arti-
/ fetal means
Gathering of the Tradesmen.
| With a thirty-day stay in Magdalena
/ Bay the American tars are likely TO seek
other means of recreation than the study
Of national policies and mistakes. and
/ they will have many matters Of interest