The Washington times., 1913-11-11
REAL PROBLEMS IN
MEXICO FINANCIAL
Country South CT Rio Grande Rich in Natural Resources Is
battle-ground of Gigantic Interests-American Sym
pathies With Leader of ConstiutionaHstS
By JUDSON c. WELLIvER.

\ independent OF any American interest.
Does it begin to clear? winston
Churchill committed himself to the pro,
ject; not avowing all these inferentiat
aspects but giving the Cowdray oil in
tereSts q huge contract to provide oil
for his navy. The British foreign office
demonstrated its comp ote acquiescence
IN the plan. by hurrying TO recognize
Huerta, and then b.; sending to Mex
leo an ambassador who has shown HIM
self in thorough sympathy with Huerta
and Cowdray, and in opposition to the
Washington Government.
The war of the oil giants was orig
inally between Cowdray and the Wa
ters-Pierce company, a subsidiary of
Standard Oil. But the processes OF
antitrust litigation and of falling
out between Henry Clay Pierce and the
Standard insiders resulted in Pierce's
getting complete control of the Waters
Pierce company and becoming, on his
own account, the chief antagonist Of
Cowdray in Mexico.
The Standard Oil group proper has
been trying hard to strengthen itself
in Mexico, and has important holdings;
but as yet il is rather less important
than the Pierce group, and decidedly
inferior to the Cowdray element. PIERCE
was a friend OF the Maderos, and to.
day he is regarded as supporter OF
the Carranza constitutionalists. Both
the American oil interests recognize
try, Cowdray will be the ruling figure
in its realm of oil: and nowhere in the
known world is there so much oil rich
ness as ia Mexico.
International Play.
Thus, in effect. there Is a great in
ternational play for the empire OF oil;
Britain backing its one chance to Sc
cure an Independent oil supply, and the
ha rif nr,l
gram. IL is easy to understand why,
in this analysis, Germany can be count
ed upon with all confidence to refrain
from alliance with England against the
United states: Germany doesn't care to
lend its diplomatic aid TO the pleasant
project of vastly increasing the power
of Britain's navy.
There could be no greater mistake
than to assume that the Washington
Government is giving its support TO the
Standard Oil or the Pierce interests as
a primary consideration. 1t is doing
nothing of the kind; it is merely TAX
ing the position that is dictated in part
by the attitude of the British govern
ment and in 'part-much the larger part,
too-by considerations of simple hu-
manity and honest concern for the peo-
pie Of Mexico.
tablishment as the permanent financial
dictatorship of Mexico would be inim-
icaI to the United States. This coun-
try cannot afford to see vast concern
like this. backed by and allied with the
British government, come into domina-
ton of Mexico. We should be In danger
of having a very real conflict over such
q usurpation. The possibility of such a
happening is not so remote as might be
ina gined. Indeed, while the general
public discusses Mexico in terms of
Carranza, and Huerta, and Orozco, and
Zapata, and Felix Diaz, and the rest of
the pawns down there, the world of big
affairs and inside views talks It in
terms of naval power, OF oil empire, of
.Cowdtay, Pierce, Standard. and the
real big things that stahd behind and
pull strings.