The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-05
JAPAN PLAYS
), WITH FIRE
Scheme to Establish Colony on
Mexican Border Arouses
American Hostility
BASE FOR OPERATIONS
AGAINST UNITED STATES
Land Was Bought and Develop
ed by Americans and Confs-
Gated by Mexicans.

ican embassy at Mexico City was in
structed today to make inquiries con-
cerrins the report that the Mexican
government has granted agricultural
concessions to Japan in Lower Cali
fornia and to report the facts as
quickly as possible.
No official information has reached
the department about the concessions
and surprise was occasioned by the
dispatch from Mexico City yesterday
quoting General An1ado Aguirre, un-
der secretary of development and ag-
riculture, as saying they had been
zranted.- The American government
is interested both because OF the ap-
parent success of Japan in obtaining
a lons sought foothold in lower Cal
ifornia. and because the tract of land
involved was developed and is claim
ed by an American company whose
rights were declared forfeited by the
Mexican government in 1919.
The land, upwards of 100000
acres below the California border was
originally granted by the then Presi-
dent Diaz to the California and
Mexican Land Company Of Los Anse-
les Of which Gen. Harrison Grey Otis
of Los. Angeles was the leading figure.
1t was, desert land with nothing grow
ing on it but sagebrush and chap
parel. The soil, however, was rich,
in places 80 feet deep, formed by de-
pcsits FOR generations by the Colorado
river 1t produced nothing for Mex
leo, and the expense Of putting water
ON the land was so great that no one
in Mexico would undertake IL The
American company spent more than
s1,a00,000 in irrigation work before
the tract was productive. One Of the
requirements in the concession was
that the: land should be irrigated.
Another was that it should be settled
with farmers and ranchers. Both these
requirements are said to have been
met by the. American company and
the, Mexican government profited by
the taxes, paid by the Americans.
Z. When Diaz was deposed and the
revolutionary period begun the Amer
ican settlers. were driven from the
land by revolutionists. Live stock was
stolen and several settlers were kill
ed. For two years the land was un-
cared for and then the company found
that japanese settlers were willing
to take. up farms and cultivate them.
The japanese were protected by the
.Mexicans. whatever party Of revolu-
tion4sts were. in power in that section
Short tine leases are said to have
been grantd to japanese farmers, but
the American owners refused to sell
any of the land to the japanese or 10
grant long. term leases. On April Z,
1917 the Mexican government declar-
ed the. tract confscated, according to
the statements Of General Aguirre
and then, it was apparently the MeX1-
can government opened negotiations
with Japanese syndicate.
Acting Secretary Of State Phillips
said today that the American COM
pany in Los Angeles proposed about
two years ago to grant Japanese
corporation long term leases on
large portion If not all of the tract
At that time the company still was
unable to maintain American settlers
there, but when the state department
objected to this proposed lease the
company dropped its negotiations with
the japanese company.
When Senator Phelan of Ca!ifor-
MIA recently informed the department
that negotiations had been renewed,
the company's attention was direct
ed to the American governments at
titude.