The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-25
CARRANZAGOVERNMENT
ISSUES DRASTIC DECREE
Calls on Mexico City Business Firms Foreign and Native
Alike for Great Sum, to Be Paid by Friday at P NJ.
on Pain of Confiscaton and Imprisonment

Washington. Feb. 24.--The State
lDepartment was advised today of a
decree calling on the business estao-
tIishments of the federal district or
Mexico, Mexicans and foreigners
lalike. to furnish not later than 8
IP. NJ Friday. a sum totaiing more
THAN 20.00e,0o0 poses. Connscation
iof property and imprisonment lot
thirty days is the penalty which VIII
he imposed for failure 10 pfoouee ''ie
Isums demanded.
As the Obregon decree is called
special tax, and is levied upon all
equally so far as the order indicates
lit furnishes no ground for protest
"a rainst II by the United States Pro-
rest is being made. however. against
1.-The short time-only seVenty-t"o
the business men 10
raise the sums. and the threat tnat
coufiscation of their propef.s au
iimprisonment would be the PUNISH +
nept of all who fail to deliver rms
protest will be made to General Car
rama directly at Vera Cruz
the decree calls for the payment
a,ithin seyenty-two hours of sums
eouala to "three-quarters of one per
cent on the capital of all BANKS pusi-
ness houses. stock companies. mort
rage holders and private indivloua.s
Generating WAtIlH titC ce~A~s
sincluding all foreign corporations anu
tprivate business men. -
Penalties For Noncompliance.
Companies organized abroad, put
Operating within the federal district.
are also subject to TINS payment Oh
the basis of the actual capital invest.
ed in the republic. A tax aiso VIII
he collected in the proportion OF one,
third of the present annual tax Oh ai'
4
.sThe time given" says the decree.
evil, expire az 8 r. NJ ON Friday next,
Iand the penalties for noncompliance
itherewi,h are confiscation. the APP
recruitment Of receivers and imprison-
gment for thirty days
This will arouse foreigners In Mex
leo and their Governments to the
highest pitch of indignation. viii
the conviction in Europe
that 1t is the duty of the United
states to intervene in Mexico. ana
Increase the irritation which the Eu-
lronean Governments have already dis
inlayed over the inactivity Of WASH
Iington regarding the decentralization IN
Mexico.
II became known today that the
is now 'pinnins is
hope regarding Mexico upon Duval
West and Charles A. Douglas. Du-
val West, lawyer. VI SAL Aheot.Aos
has been sent by the President to IN
terview villa and other leaders asso-
ciated with him, while Mr.. Douglas.
who Is the Washington counsel for
lcarranza, has gone to Vera Cruz to
confer with the first chief. While
the State Department has no connec-
Ition with Mr.. Douglas, 1t is known
that the purpose Of his visit Is to
impress upon Carranza the extent to
which the sympathy OF the United
States Government has been alien
ated by some OF his acts. and induce
him to a more considerable attitude
toward foreign interests.
Diplomats Sttll In Capital.
No decision has yet been reached
about the diplomatic corps In Mexico
City. Not all of the diplomatic rep
lresentatives have received authority
to use their own discretion with re-
gard to quitting Mexico, and 1t 10 now
Intended to defer any action until II
can be participated in by all the dip
llomats left in Mexico City.
The Carranza agency here continues
ito report successes for the Carranza
forces in Mexico.