Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-25
SUSPICION JOHN D.
FINANCES MADERO
Business Man IntimateS Stand
ard Oil interests Are Aiding
Present Revolution
TELLS OF MEXICAN POLITICS
Visitor in City ReCountS History
of Head of InsurreC-
tionary Movement
TELLS OF MEXICAN POLITICS

Are the Standard Oil interests financ-
ing the Mexican revolutionary move
ment? In case Diaz triumphs In the
present struggle this question, accord
ing to Francisco Soto, may yet be made
the subject of a diplomatic inquiry
addressed by the Mexican government
to the United States. Mr.. Soto has
been in Los Angeles for the past three
DAYS, the guest of relatives. He IS
lifelong friend of Francisco l. Madero,
leader of the revolutionary or insur-
rectionary movement, but explains that
he is himself a business man and not
politician. ,.e- >,
he said last night. I'VE are friends and
1 sympathize with him in his fight, but
1 have done nothing to help him be-
cause [ have felt that l could not al
ford it. [ have large interests in Mex
leo and l dare not antagonize the gov
ernment Standard Oil tried it and
Standard Oil is now fighting for its life
in that country.
''Francisco l. Madero is a member of
one of the wealthiest and most prom
inent families in Mexico. He hlmself IS
tremendously wealthy, but has placed
most of his extensive holdings in the
charge of American and English cor
porations, in which he holds a control
ling interest but which are protected
through the fact that they are really
foreign companies. Madero was born
at Parras, Mexico, in 1873 and was
educated in Paris and at the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology at
Boston. He is a brilliant writer, both
in Spanish and French. l saw him
last about a year ago and he told me
that trouble was coming.
IL
date for the presidency against Diaz
at the last election. For daring to
announce himself he was accused OF
sedition and thrown into jail.
RELEASED UNDER BONDS
Later he was released under bonds
and never was tried. He knew that
his life was in danger, however, and
about a month ago he slipped across
the border into San Antonio, Texas.
There no fewer than five attempts
were made upon his life, and twice he
narrowly escaped death. His father
now is living in San Antonio, polit-
ical refugee from his own country:
Francisco l. Madero is the Oldest OF
thirteen children, nine of whom We're
bows. He is married but has no chill
dren of his own.
"Madero is leader of what are known
as the anti-electionists. This means
merely that the party of which he IS
the head objects to Diaz' suspension
of the constitution and to his dc
tating the personnel of official Mexico,
from the vice president, through the
governors of the several states and
down to the pettiest officials. There
seldom is but one ticket in Mexican
election, and that is the government
ticket The government will not per
nit nominations to be made against
otso a
the men named ordinarily are thrown
in iail under some trumped-up accu-
sation.
''When I last saw Madero he told
me that he had served notice upon
Diaz that he should oppose him. The
thing happened this way: Madero
went to Mexico City and asked Tor
an interview with the president: Diaz
refused Then the anti-electionlsts
held a public meeting in the plaza
which was attended by 10000 persons.
That frightened the president and he
sent for Madero to come and see nm.
At first Madero refused, but later he
went.
"He told Diaz that he and his friends
were willing the president should con-
tinue in office until his death, but said
they wanted the privilege of electing
WnOln IHGN GllOSe Ibi NlCc- c-IJlOSlAlGlll
and that they did not want Corral,
who is very unpopular all over Mex
leo Diaz refused to yield the point
and Madero then told him that he
should oppose the governments pol
lev. That was how the trouble start
ed I do not know, Of course, what
the outcome may be, but 1 think Ma
dero may win. ] have expected mail
ever since l arrived here, but none
has come, which can only mean the
complete interruption OF mail service,
as otherwise my business associates
would not leave me in ignorance of
what is going on.
I'm Mexico people generally believe
that the Standard Oil is helping to
finance Madero's campaign. In Mexico
Standard Oil is interested not in oil
alone, but also in rubber, Rockefeller,
Aldrich and others controlling the i'm
portant Continental Rubber company.
They have long been at outs with the
DiaZ government and claim that they
have been Disseminated against in
favor of the Pearson syndicate, an
English corporation in which several
members of Diaz' official family are
said to hold stock.
"It is said and generally believed in
Mexico that Standard Oil caused the
publication of those "BarbarOus MeXi-
co" articles in the American Magazine
Another Rockefeller corporation, the
Tlahuialilo company, an agricultural
concern engaged chiefly in the grow
ing of cotton, is now suing the gov
ernment for $12,000,0OO. They claim
that government cut off their water
supply without authority of law, and
thus ruined their last years crop
They are operating in the Laguna
district, near Torreon. Standard Oil
also has had considerable trouble over
it's lands.
IAN these things explain why Rookie
feller is suspected OF financing the