Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-15
WHY PURCHASE LOWER CALIFORNIA?
Urged That We Might Thus Help Mexico and Benefit Our
seves-Magdaena Bay and the Monroe Doctrine-South-
west Wants "a Window the Sea-"
By RAYMOND G. FULLER

TOWER CALIFORNIA, lying off the beaten
Ltrack of the tourist is best known by its
relation to the not infrequent Japanese
American war scares. Magdalena Bay and
Turtle Bay are familiar names to everybody
who reads the news. They have often
sounded in the halls of Congress. In speech
on the arbitration treaties, Senator Lodge
said this:
Suppose some great Eastern Power should
directly or indirectly take possession of
harbor on the west coast of Mexico for the
purpose of making 1t a naval station and a
place of arms. I am using no imagination in
suggesting such a case. 1t is not very long
since an indirect movement was begun, and
It is apparently still on foot, to obtain pos
session for a foreign Power of Magdalena
Bay, so I may fairly suppose that such
case may arise. If it did we should imme-
diatey intervene We should declare that
this was a violation of constant policy
known as the Monroe Doctrine. The nation
seeking the station on the coast of Mexico
would then say. Very we'll, let us take this
to arbitration We could not help ourselves,
for under the terms of the treaty either party
to dispute bring the other before the
high commission of inquiry, and the Monroe
Doctrine would then be submitted to them by
us bar to the arbitrabillty OF the ques-
ton"
Now, If only Lower California were owned
by the United States, how different the situa-
ton would be! No further prospect of any
such eventuality as that which Senator
Lodge so seriously discusses. No more Mag
dalena Bay incidents of the kind that breed
or foster war scares, And what relief!
The Money Would Come In Handy
The transfer of title would doubtless prove
of considerable advantage to this country,
and II some man or group OF men should ap-
pear in Mexican affairs whom our Govern
ment might feel disposed to aid in tho estab-
iishment Of peace and order the purchase
price OF the territory would be a literally ma
terial contribution toward that end. Mexico
has not been served by Lower California. The
territory remains practically undeveloped.
Mexicos need is for the development OF peace
and prosperity in the rest Of the country.
The proposition that tho United States
should acquire Lower California is not new
except the circumstances are new. From
the beginning of the Mexican War up to ths
present time the annexation OF the peninsula
has been periodically agitated. Twice Lower
California was in the possession OF Ameri-
cans and twice 1t was given back to Mexico
Much Of the advantage from annexation
Woulu accrue 10 the people or three South
western states-New Mexico, Arizona and
California What they think about 1t In that
region was expressed a few years ago by
California writer follows: when our war
with Mexico closed in the forties with the
treaty OF Guadalupe Hidalgo, and we ac-
quired the States OF California, northern Ari-
zOna Colorado, Utah and Nevada, and con-
hrmed our possession of Texas, our peaee
commissioners allowed themselves 10 be out
generated automatically In several impor-
tant particulars. Our expansion STONED inst
at the point where, having gone SO far. 4
should have gone farther. The cardinal error
OF the commissioners and the Polk Adminis-
tration was the failure to appreciate the great
Importance Of access to the sea They over
looked American access to and rights OF
navigation upon the Gulf OF California, the
arm OF the Pacific that extends up the Mexi-
can coast between the Mexican state OF
sonora and the Mexican Territory OF Lower
California Had our statesmen foreseen tba
future greatness OF the territory they were
acquiring, they could not have made such a
mistake. AS 1t was they consented 10 an in
ternadonal boundary line that cuts or
southeastern California and Arizona from
water traffic completely as though they wara
located a thousand miles inland, notUFlth-
standing that the headwaters OF the ouif ~
California are within less than 30 mile oe
their boundary
Ia other words, vast portion Of the Amer
lean Southwest wants 20 window on thu SEA -
u the United States should make soma ar
ransement Tor the acquisition Of Lover cail-