The Washington times., 1913-11-11

-NP1chC 10 OIlc VI tic EICHtsl plctcS VI
territory that lies out of doors. 1t has
gold, silver, copper. coal, forests, oil,
magnificent areas of grazing and corn
lands. 1t has, likewise, splendid cot
ton and coffee e-growing possibilities.
Though it lies largely under the tropics,
its attitudes vary so greatly that, like
Colombia, it represents the temperate
quite as well as the torrid zone
From Cortez down to Maximilian,
and from Macmillan down to Sir
Weetman Pearson, Henry Clay Pierce,
and many other great operators, the
Mexican lure has led men into great
adventures Of conquest, war, diplo-
macy, and intrigue. in order that they
might control as much as possible of
this natural richness of Mexico. All
this is well understood, but few Ameri
cans understand it in detail, and ap-
preciate the relations Of the various
interests to current politics. domestic
and international, affecting Mexico.
When Porfirio Diaz came to the die
tatorship, he believed that the right
policy was to bring in enterprise and
money; to develop the country: to give
away whatever must be given away. IN
order to get the rest developed. He
may or may not have been corruptly in
erous with natural resources, much as
the United states has been, in allow
ing its Western railroads 10 get em-
pires of prairie and forests, of coal and
other mineral and metal-bearlng lands.
He had our example to guide him In
this regard. He saw the United states
getting foreign capital, and growing
rich, prosperous, powerful, and highly
civilized. Why not do the same with
Mexico?
System of Tenure.
That was the beginning. But back of
Diaz there had been established sys-
tenn of land tenure in general, by
which a minority Mexico, holding
under grants from Spanish kings and
governors, owned most of the land.
Vast tracts had been conferred Oh IA
yored families, and the millions Of the
common people, mostly Indians, hav-
ing no lands because either the favor
ties of old royalty or the associates of
the new Diaz regime had taken about
everything. So the masses became poems,
serfs, little better than slaves Diaz
dominated his congresses as completely
as Euerta wants TO do il, and he gave
with lavish hand. Mexico prospered.
or rather, Mexico was exploited N or
der that its land-holding and conces-
sion-owning aristocracy might prosper.
The masses of the people gained almost
nothing in material comforts, ard felt
themselves losing the freedom that once
had been theirs.
Diaz and his clique gave vast conces-
sjons among others 10 Sir Weet1nan
Pearson, now Lord Cowdray, an Eng
lishman. Pearson built the Tehuante-
pee railroad, though the Mexican gov
ernment owns it There were. vast prof
its in the building; there have been
more in the operation, by the Pearson
interests, under contract with the
government.
But the Panama canal is about open
ing, and the Pearson interests are
credited with fears that the canal VIII
take away most of the railroads trail
fic and leave the operating contract
very lean affair Therefore, according
10 common report in Mexican circles
here Cowdray would like to have his
operating contract taken off his hands
. and the Tehuantepec transcontinental
line turned over to the National Rail-
way of Mexico, the general state
owned system.
Was Cowdray Hope.
Diaz was the Cowdray hope. and so
Cowdray supported Diaz against Ma
dero as long as there was any chance
at all. Diaz had also turned over to
the Pearson crowd immensely rich oil
concessions throughout the country.
Other oil concession had gone to the
waters-Piece Oil Company, then part
OF the Standard Oil system. standard
OIL group was disposed TO be friendly
TO the Maderos, and the Cowdray ele-
ments to Diaz, The Maderos were su-
perior people: not only Francisco, who
became President. but mis- family as a
whole. They represented the ancient
landed aristocracy, and wanted to give
the people a chance; Francisco, more
advanced than the rest, was an ideal
ist and a dreamer
With Francisco Madero president,
the Cowdray forces we're in eclipse.
Madero was determined to reorganize
the land system of the country and
give the plain people a chance at the
land; which is just what Mr.; Lloyd
Like wise, Madero proposed TO take
away from the concessionaries every
acre of land to which their title was
possibly under cloud
That, again, is exactly what the
United States has been trying to do
in the matter of Alaska coal lands,
California oil lands, and various othef
rich tracts which have been Claimed bE
financial interests that benenled by
loose OF corrupt administration OF our
laws. The parallel between Mexico and
England, as to land tenure. and be-
TWEEN Mexico and the United states as
10 concessions and exploitation OF the
public DOMAIN, is a most illuminating
one.
Backed By Cowdray.
The Huerta-Felix Diaz uprising
against Francisco Madero was undoupt-
edly backed by the Cowdray interests
They must be rid of Madero before ne
got Congress to annul their holdings.
He WAS put out OF the way, and HUI
erta. the friend and beneficiary Of the
Cowdray group, was brought TO the top.
The manner of doing it, with murder
and assassination and treason as chiei
features. was too raw even for Mexico
The world was hOrrified The United
states refused 10 stand for Huerta.
Uut England promptly recognized him.
Why? Because. as is now almost uni
ve-saIIy believed, OF the Cowdray in
-fiuence in British politics.
Cowdray's oil interests have been very
close to the British admiralty. They
are like old Jay Gould, who described
himself as ~Republican in Republi-
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