Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-07-06
MEXICO AND BIG BUSINESS"
[Sioux City Journal.l

MEXICO AND ZIG BUSINESS"
tSioux City Journai.l
When q lot Of stolen private letters
are paradsd under daring headlines
in a reputable newspaper the natural
inference il that they contain some
Juicy scandal. This inference Is not
always borne out by tho facts.
For several days q syndicate of
newspapers has been printing letters
and documents relating to confidential
communications between an American
business man and the first CHIEF OF
the Mexican revolution. An interna-
tional lawyer and lobbyist seems to
have figured as 60 between, and appar-
entity II was his files that were rifled
The announced purpose of the publica-
ton was to show that American rail-
way and oil interests have been fin-
ancing the Mexican revolution. II such
a conclusion is to be found it must be
based on some disclosures still to APP
pear. Fairly analyzed. the differences
from the documents already published
are exceedingly tame.
When the revolution broke out
Henry Clay Pierce, the American oil
and railway man. was deeply interest
ed in the Mexican railways. Originally
he had controlled the Mexican Central.
When the lines We're nationalized he
had taken over a large block of the
bonds. Since the constitutionalists
came into control of northern and CEN
trail Mexico Mfr Pierce has been nego-
garding resumption Of railway oper-
ations. He had plan by which Car
rama was TO organize the railroads OF
northern Mexico into separate sys-
tenn under management satisfactory to
Mr.. Pierce That both Carranza and
Pierce should consider such PROPOSE
ton is not surprising. Pierce's good
money was invested in the wrecked
railway. Carranza was in control OF
the territory served by it and natur-
ally would be interested in getting the
road into operation as soon as possible.
Certainly there need be nothing Illicit
about negotiations to that purpose.
That little politics should be played
in the effort TO influence the course OF
events would be only natural. That
effort should be made to enlist the as
sistance OF constitutionalist statesmen
wss only natural. Nothing has yet
been printed to show any financial re-
lations between Pierce and Carranza.
The effect Of the publication at this
time Is to prejudice the policy Of the
Wilson admtnistrat ton as recently dis
closed. That policy seems to have been
to contribute to constitutionalists con-
troll OF Mexico. The imputation is that
the Wilson administration has been
either bribed or worked into playing
into the hands OF the American oil and
flrav In he %9rc
with the revolutionists. It is doubtful
If ground for such an assumption can
be found. As a practical proposition
the administration had to choose be-
tween Carranza on the one side and
Ruerta On the other. Had It chosen
Huerta II would have been playing into
the hands OF Lord Cowdray and the
Standard Oil interests. which have
been hobnobbing with the Mexico City
dictator and are supposed to have aid
ed in financing his forlorn hope. II il
was choice between Huerta. ccwdra.
and Standard Oil on the one hand and
Carranza- Henry Clay Pierce and the
Waters-Pierce Company on the other
President Wilson must be credited with
having chosen the lesser evil
Too much attention should not be
paid 70 the talk about big business I'm
ancing the rival factions in Mexico
Possibly both sides may have been
helped under compulsion or by way OF
cold business precaution. Big business
rivalry In itself. however. will not &C.
count for the long drawn out revolu-
ton. The system Of economic slavery
upon which Mexican business has been
transacted offers much more ade-
quate incentive for the industrial un-
rest which has found such emphatic
expression. Big business. of course
has been guessing and figuring and
trying to influence the course Of events
in its own interest. Business is bust
ness even in time of war