The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-12-22
FIGHT
FOR CONTROL
or OIL INDUSTRY IN MtxiLO
Mexican COTrern and Standard Seek
Control in That Country-Battle
the Death Is On.

CITY OF MEXICO, Dec. 2O.-The
most spectacular oil war in history
is going on in Mexico. 1t began sew
eral months ago. The Standard Oil
company, through the Waters Pierce
Oil company, is lined up on one side
while on the other is the Compania
de Petroleo ell Aguila de Mexico,
which translated into English is the
Mexican Eagle Petroleum company.
The concerns have adopted remark
able methods for attracting the at
tention of the people of the country
to their oils. The Mexican Eagle Pc
troleum company has u capital stock
of $25.5OO.OOO. 1t has for its pres
ident Guillermo Landa Escandon
governor of the federal district IN
which this city is situated. Its stock
holders are made up of a noted CO.
terie of multi-millionaires, all of
whom are MeXicans with the exceD-
ton of Sir Weetman Pearsons. of
London, England.
Hhe company is appealing to the
people for their patronage on the
ground that 1t is a Mexican concern.
1t has been the aggressor ever since
the warfare started. 1t made the
first cut in prices of refined oils and
has gone few notches below every
price fixed by it's competitor. 1t has
established retail agencies in every
city and town of any size in Mexico.
''oDiclers" Aid Native Concern.
1t recognizes the fact that the H.
100000 natives of the lower class are
the ones who use the bulk of the re-
fined oils in this country Many of
these people cannot read, and in or
der to reach them the Mexican Eagle
Petroleum company has employed
smooth tongued orators to deliver ad-
dresses upon the street corners on
the merits of the company's products.
While flaming banners giving the
name of the company and showing
bright colored pictures of the Mexican
eagle, sitting upon a thorny cactus,
the spielers of the concern ride
through the streets of the cities and
towns each day and finally stop at
the most public corners or upon the
plazas and begin to hand out a line
of talk to the crowd that quickly col
lects.
1t is the old patent medicine style
of doing business. 1t is new in Mexico
and is proving wonderfully effective
IN promoting the sale of the COM
pany's oils. Some of these street ora
tors carry bands of music with them
and entertain the crowds with con-
"erts when the talks are not being
made.
The Mexican Eagle Petroleum COM
pany Is making much to do over the
tact that the Waters-Pierce Oil COM
pany is foreign corporation. That
II Is WaSlng telling campaign for
control OF the oil trade is evidenced
by the big increase in it's sales of re-
Ihed oils and corresponding de-
crease in the retail business of the
Naters-Pierce Oil company.
standard Uses Proclamation.
The Waters Pierce OIL company is
lighting back with all it's tremendous
power. 1t adopted the method several
weeks ago of issuing d series of pro-
carnations or pronunciamentos, print
ed in Spanish and English, in which
1t tells its side of the oil story and
gives its competitor some telling hits.
Some idea of their general character
may be had from reading the con-
tents of the latest one to be dis
Jributed 1t says:
The Waters-Picrce Oil companv
began to develop and organize the oil
business in Mexico about quarter
of century before any of it's present
competitors had thought it worth
while to even investigate the POSSIBLE
tiles of Mexico as Il market 1t has
continued to invest more capital in
Mexico, build more rofineries in Mex
ico. and extend its business equip
ment in Mexico ever since.
1T was the first refiner in Mexico
to use native products in manufac-
turing Illuminating oils and lubricants
1t was the first in Mexico TO offer
market to the pi oducer of native
crude for the sale of his product, and
it is today the largest purchaser in
Mexico of native crude for refining
from Independent producers 1t en-
courages the production of native oil
by independent individuals and COM
panies."