The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-03-29

The City Of Mexico, March IS
The hubbub that has been caused by
the proposition that America buy
the peninsula of Lower California
from Mexico, in order to obtain alb
solutc possession of Magdalena bay,
has brought to mind the difficulties
America would encounter In trying
to get possession of the country
without buying the territory from
Mexico outright. The whole question
has been brought forcibly to mind
sinco the arrival of the fleet i'm Pa
ciflc waters. an event which trst
made America realize the great
strategic value of Magdaleua bay in
case of a naval war along the Pact
tic coast.
To Mexico Lower California is
nothing. The government collects a
small tax from the rocky peninsula
and expends nothing there. The
whole ar.a is regarded, with con
siderable Justice, as barren and
worthless waste, butM,xicans are
alive to the possibilities OF Magda-
lena bay.
Incidentally however, the situa-
ton discloses a Lar-sightcdness, not
on the part of Mexico, which has
hardly learned the meaning of that
word, but OF Great Britain, whose
splendidly aggressive and frequent
ly offensive foreign policy is again
called into question.
Perhaps if the restless and so
often resistless flow of emigration
of Americans could find an outlet
into the peninsula of Lower Cali
fornia the time might come when
the first alarm of war would find
the shores of Magdalena bay peo-
pied with Americans living under
Mexican rule, but ready and eager
to show where they stood If their
home country was in trouble. Fill
Lower California with such a migra-
I'D population and it is easy to for
see an undeniable demand from It's
people for annexation to the United
States.
Unfortunately this cannot be, and
something more stubborn than the
Mexican law prevents il. There is
every reason to believe that England
has long ago foreseen just such a
possibility and has sccrtly sup
ported the acquisition 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 to it that no out
slider buys a foot Of ground or finds
any inducement to settle.
The Mexican law prohibits aliens
from owning any Mexican territor!
within six leagues OF the land Dor
der line between it and anothe
country or within three miles OF th'
coast. In addition 10 this the entir'
coast line of Lower California, in
cluding Magdalena bay, is owned b,
L Mexican corporations whose stock
holders are 80 per cent British. o.
the largest of the tracts held b.
these corporations there is no indus
try in such operation as would jus
tify the retention of the lands unde
the most economical plan of pa!
ment for caretakers. But the land
are preserved and have plenty {
caretakers.
No American receives the sligh
est encouragement TO stay in IN
couG-ry and not an acre OF the Ian
can be bought from the corporation
Its tract lies like an impassab
dixie between the United States an
the Lower California peninsul
whose rich alluvial soil is now not
ing more than sert where raj
seldom falls more often than ever
tour or five years, but whose irl
CATION would turn into just such
Towering paradise as the count
about San Diego and Los Angel'
Is. where the lands nave been irl
gated by artificial means.