Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-31
Washington Government
Orders Report on Mexi-
can Concession.
JAPS GAIN FOOTHOLD
NEAR u. S. BORDER
Property Formerly Owned by Amer
lean Company and Confiseated by
Mexican Government Said to Have
Been Leased to Orientals-An-
nouneement Made by oHieia! Of
Mexican Government.

Washington, March 3l.--The Ameri-
can embassy at Mexico City was In
structed today to make inquiries con-
cerning the report that the Mexican
government has granted agricultural
concessions to Japanese in Lower Cal
ifornia and to report the facts as soon
as possible.
No official Information has reached
the war department about the con-
cessions and surprise was occasioned
by the dispatch from Mexico City yes
terday quoting General Amado Aguir-
re. under secretary OF development
and agriculture. as saying they had
been granted.
The American government IS inter-
ested both because Of the apparent
success of Japanese in obtaining
longsought foothold in lower Califor-
mia, and because the tract OF land IN
volved was developed and is claimed
by an American company whose rights
were declared forfeited by the Me2i-
can government in 1917.
Million Acres Involved.
The land, upwards Of a million acres
below the California border was
granted by the then President niaz TO
tho California and Mexican Land
Company of Los Angeles, Of which
Gen. Harrison Gray Otis 's Angeles
was the leading figure. as desert
l,, an
sage brush. cactus and chaparreR The
soil. however. was rich. In places
eighty feet deep. formed by deposits
for generations by the Colorado river.
1t produced nothing for Mexico and
the expense of putting water on tine
land was so great that no one in Mex
leo would undertake it. The American
company spent more than $1,000, 900 In
irrigation work before the tract was
productive One of the requirements
Of the concession was that the land
should be irrigated. Another was that
1t should be settled with farmers and
ranchers. Both these requirements
arc said to have been met by the
American company.
Americans Driven Out.
When Diaz was deposed and the
revolutionary period began the Amer
by reyolutionists. Live stock was stolen
and several settlers were killed. For
two years the land was uncared for,
and then the company found that Jap
anese settlers were willing TO take up
farms and cultivate them. Tho Japan
ese were protected by the Mexicans OF
whatever party OF revolutionists were
in power in that section. Short time
leases are said to have been granted
to Japanese farmers. but the Ame-i-
can owners refused to sell any of the
land to the Japanese or to grant long
term leases.
On April 7, 1917, the Mexican gov
crnment declared the tract confscatnd,
according to the statements By Zen
eraI Aguirre, and then. apparently. the
Mexican government opened nesotia-
tions with a Japanese syndicate.
Acting Secretary Of state Philips
said today that the Los. Angeles com
pany proposed about two years ago to
grant Japanese corporation long
time leases on large portion If not
all of the tract. At that time the COM
pany still was unable to maintain
American settlers there. but when the
state department objected to tho pro-
posed leases. the company dropped its
negotiations with the japanese.
When Senator Phelan.. of California
recently informed the department that
negotiations had been renewed. the
company's attention was directed tc
the American governments attitude.