Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-03-31

port the facts as quickly as
possible.
Mexico City. March 29.-Delay-
t-Japanese corporations have
heen granted concession to exploit
agricultural lands in Lower Cali
toFnia, according to the statement
made today by General Amado
Aguirre, under secretary of devci-
opment and agriculture.
The affirmation was made, how
ever, that the concessions were
fully authorized by the provisions
of the Mexican constitution re-
garding the area and post tiOn of
the territory in relation to the
ocean shore and the fontier line.
Denies Injury to Monroe Doctrine.
There was nothing in the con-
cession. il was asserted by the un-
der secretary, that might lead to
difficulties as far as the Monroe
doctrine was concerned.
Reports that there is a possibil
ity of international controversy
over the granting of the conces-
sions to the Japanese were said to
be absurd by General Aguirre.
The Japanese legation here de-
, MED It had any official knowledge
of the action
SCOTS al Any Conflict
In the interview General Aguirre
is quoted as follows
1T is absurd TO give credit to,
orr take seriously. the news pub
lishfd today that there is imminent
an International conflict because
Of Ae fact that Japanese subjects
or de&mpanies are arranging to &C
9He land in Lower California,
,Sssid to belong to the California &
Mexican Land company of Los
Angeles
In the first place, the lands.
which were given by a concession
in 1854 to the Mexican Land com
pany, we're declared the property
OF the unconstitutional govern
ment on April :, 1917. which ac-
tion makes void the concession
granted to the Mexican Land com
pany. Since then the government
mas appointed commission to di-
vide these lands and sell them to
Mexlcans in small lots.
Extent Would be Limited.
Moreover. even if japanese
companies propose to acquire, as
is alleged, huge tracts of land in
Lower California, they cannot be
aided by our government, since the
Mexican constitution in article p. |
expressly states that no foreigner
can acquire land in a zone 100 kiIo- |
meters wide from foreign from
~ nor in a belt so kilometers
widA along the shores of the Pa
cihe /ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. |
Even if the Japanese subjects
secure M1kican citizenship, thew
could not acquire 500 900 acres of |
land, as it is declared they seek to
buy This equals nearly 400 OOO
hectares, which is far above the
legal limit placed on the purchase
of lands, which restricts all ner-
sons and companies to a maximum
OF 2,S0o hectares"
Belong to Americans
No official information has reach
ed the department about the con-
eessions and surprise was occa-
stoned by the dispatch from Mexico
City yesterday quoting General
Amado Aguierre. under-secretarv I
Il development, as saying there had |
been final action. The American /
government is inter ested both he
cause of the apparent success of |
tue Japanese in obtaining a long !
sought foothold in Lower Califor- ,
Lila, and because the tract OF land /
involved was developed and is !
claimed by an American company. /
whose rights were declared forfeit /
ed by the Mexican government in /
vlsl7. I
ka History of Tract. J.
'he land, upwards of a million /
a., below the California border.
granted by the then president,
10 the California and Mexican
Apmpany of Los Angeles. of
& = eneral Harrison Grey Otis
Us Angeles was the leading fig I
80. It was desert land with moth
lag growing on it but sage brush.
cacti and chaparrel. The soil, how
ever. was rich in places so feet
deep. formed by deposits for gen
erations by the Colorado river. 1t
produced nothing for Mexico and
the expense Of putting water on the
land was so great that no one in
Mexico would undertake it. The
American company spent more
than s1.000,0e0 in irrigation work
before the tract was productive
une of the requirements OF the con-
esssion was that the land should
ID irrigated. Another was that it