The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1911-05-20
MAY EXPLAIN THE
MEXICAN AFFAIR
Rainey Asks Investigation Of De-
partment of Justice.
GAME or BIG CORPORATIONS
They Want United States to Extend
Its Authority over Slice of Lower
California - Inquiry Planned
of Our Many Expensive
Commissions.
BY WILLIS j. ABBOT.


Washington.-Rece Representa-
tive Rainey of Illinois presented to the
house a resolution asking for COM
mittee to investigate the operations
and methods of the department of JUS
tice. 1t directs thorough inquiry into
all the cases instituted under the Sher-
man antitrust law and the Hepburn
railroad rate law, and to ascertain for
what causes some of these cases were
dropped 1t further inquiries as to the
number of special counsel employed
and the amount of their fees and final
ly as to whether the attorney general
of the United States has any legal in
terests or affiliations outside Of the dis
tinguished office he holds.
The greater part of this resolution
is without serious significance, or at
least news value. 1t is merely the
first of series of investigatory reso-
lutiops which this house will put
through-for after 16 years in the dark
who can blame the Democrats if they
have certain desire now to turn on
the light and look into matters some
what for themselves. Mr.. Rainey has
tried to pass this resolution before.
but hostile majority has sturdily op-
posed and slaughtered 1t. This time
1t will go through with some slight de-
lay, as the house is not yet fully organ
lied.
Bears on Mexican Complications.
The real significance of the resolu-
ton, as | am informed by its author,
lies in its bearing upon the Mexican
complications which are today puz-
cling every observer of public events
No careful reader of newspapers can
have failed to notice that there have
been at least ten different explana-
lions presented for the sudden mob
ilization of 10000 United States troops
on the Mexican frontier and the dis
patch of the most powerful part of the
United States navy to the coasts of
twat nation. Incidentally, 1t might be
nbted that Mexico has OWE third class
cruisers and tive torpedo beat destroy.
ess foF navY, ail 81 which could be
dest Ess ~ nlfs Hsttfa liz
sst eSasL Our fleets have been with.
drawn, and so, too. has been with
draw the preposterous story Of d
secret compact between Mexico and
Japan which was for day or two
used to explain our demonstration in
force. But our troops are still there.
They are encamped at every land gate.
way TO Mexico. In two hours they
could control every considerable Next
can custom house through which Amer
lean products enter. The Mexican gov.
eminent has practically no source of
revenue except import duties. By
shutting them off the United States
could subjugate Mexico without trou-
ping to march upon its capital or
nght more than one or two petty Skin
But what, one may reasonably ask
mas this to do with the department of
justice and the proposed investiga-
ton? Simply this: Before his ipvi-
tatlon to President Taft's cabinet Az.
torney General Wickersham was q
member of the great New York law
nrm of Cadawallader g. Strong NJ
which also Henry M. Taft, a brother of
tne president, was and still is. a mem
DER, That firm has long been init
mately associated with great corpora-
uons that are heavily interested in
mexican concessions-mining, railroad.
OIL STOCK raising, etc. Mexico is nrac.
ideally owned by United States can;to1
today-all, except it's government-and
my lnformants. who are many in ad.
dltlon TO Representative Rainev in.
slst that these corporations do not
want the government DESTROYED nor do
they want annexation. The latter would
destroy the system 4of peonage under
which they now get efficient labor a.
quentin the cost of the American work
ingman. WI n
What the Corporations Wan.
nut they do want protection and
some of them want a litt,e ,Iioa
OF Mexican territory which thew nov,
own, but over which thew womb ILL.,
the United States to extend its author
n.y. For example, in the last half
hour OF the last session of corpraes
there was slipped through an anoro,
priation Of $1.0OO,OOO for use in safe
guarding the banks of the Colorado
river in order that 1t may not aoair 4,
wade the Imperial valley in southern
california That valley is nearly os0
ieet below sea level, fertile II tboro
DC water furnished by irrigation. arid
as the worst part Of Sahara IL thera
be no water. The government is cen,
pleting a great dam, the Laguna dam
at cost of $1,50O,OO0. with irrieating
systems TO furnish the life-givfng auid
70 the now desolate plains. Rut n
protect the dam from the eccentrio
Hoods of the Colorado river rin.ran
work must be done along its banks in
Lower California, and there in Mey. |
can territory the greater part of the
million dollars appropriated without
iebate and almost without notice is he |
ng spent
With the dam complete, the water
curse controlled and United States
'uzerainty over the section, the lands |
~ the Mexicay side OF the border now |