The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-24
Recent Agitation in Mexico
Has Aroused Officials of
Washington to Significance
Of Situation.
Control of Caribbean Oil Field
Tremendous Weapon on
Hands of Possessor---Great
Britain Working to That End
and Germany Taking Interest

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23.--Recent
agitation over the oil concessi ons held
By Lord Cowdray In Mexico and the
Exploitation rights he is seeking in
the oil fields of Colombia, Venezuela
and Ecuador have served to arouse
many in Washington official life to
realization Of the great international
Significance of what Is going on with
respect to the oil regions In the
vicinity of the Panama canal.
AS viewed by shrewd students Of
foreign relations here the present
trend of events Is leading directly to-
ward a natural conflict of great In
terests over the question of the oil
production of the Caribbean coun~
tries. Many fear that eventually this
conflict OF interests will create sit
uation which will embarraSs this gov
ernment to a greater extent even than
The present Mexican tangIe.
The people of tho United States
land Great Britain have sensed in part
the significance of the British gov
ernment's interest in the Cowdray oil
properties In Mexico through the re-
lations OF that government to the
Iaerta regime In Mexico.
Struggle f. On.
1t In not generally realized. however.
that not only Ia the interest Of the
British government IN the Cowdray
concessions in Mexico valid and i'm
mutahie for an indefinite period. but
that 1t Is extending It's moral support
ITO the company in efforts, which, II
successful. would give 10 the British
eoncern a virtual control of the major
part Of the oil production in ths
Region Of the Panama canal.
what such "a control would mean
Ian hardly re appreciated urT-tff TWO
great facts. but little known. are taken
Into cons! liberation. One Is that the
mercantile marine Is rapidly convert
hing Itself into an oil consuming Instead
of a coal burning agency. The other
is thai by virtua OF the richness OF
the Mexican and other Caribbean Oh
nelas together with their location.
/eil from these regions can be laid
dawn nj the Panama canal for about
half the cost of coal delivered at the
same spot.
These two facts, Ii la declared by
experts are alone sufficient tt insure
unbounaed success OF the Panama
Canal and make the control Of the
caribbean OH fields a tremendous
weapon In the hands, of their pos
se@sor.
Great Britain has seen this and In
preparing accordingly. as evidenced
by the operations of the Pearson In
tere~ts There In reason to believe
that Germany Is awakening 10 the sit
uatlon. and may shortly be found
active in an endeavor tn secure for
herself supply Of oil for her own
great merchant Feet. half of which Is
engaged In "a vast trade IN the western
hemisphere. France, likewise, Is be-
coming Interested while american
private interests are already engaged
In keen rivalry with the British
tnroughout the Caribbean counties.
Wilson's Betaa stand.
What would he a perfectly normal
situation on keen competition for ae-
aulsltian one of the richest oil fields
the world has ever vet known ls COM
rlicated by the attitude taken by
president Wilson. with respect to the
development Of Latin American natural
resources President Wilson. in his
Mobile speech, declared himself as OPP
rosed to the granting of concessions by
Latin American governments, and an
nounces that IL was the mission OF the
United States TO free these governments
from foreign domination. IL lie the
belief here that IL President Wilson
endeavors to put this declaration into
practical effect he will have embarked
upon a very bold policy of international
domination. and that he will have to
prepare himself for complications. with
the Old World powers.
How great will be the pressure
against any such prohibitive policy as
that indicated In the Mobile speech can
not be understood until the vital ne
cessity OF oil fuel 10 the great mari
time nations Ii appreciated Great
Britain has made with Lord Cowdray
contract extending over term or
years for obtaining a continuous sup
ply of oil fuel at n steady price Tor
the use Of the British navy. Until she
has acquired complete control over
some source of oil supply. as yet the
locality Of which Is not indicated, Great
Britain Ia to devote herself to storing
up at home and in all her naval stations
throughout the world great reserve
supplies of oil fuel
hound NY self Interest.
Winston Churchill, first lord of the
admiralty. has declared that In this
ambitious program the Mexican oil TO
he supplied by the Cowdray companies
will be large factor. Thus is Great
Britain bound by her most vital self
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