Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-04-05
U. s. GOVERNMENT
 INVESTIGATES JAP
 MEXICO LAND DEAL
Investigation of Reports Is Ordered By Department Land Owned By Amer ican Company Firm Makes Statement On Pre- vious Proposed Transac- actions.

tlOuS 1OpOSCu AAuh'oNS actions.
 The American embassy at Mexico City has been instructed to make in- auires concerning the report that the Mexican government has granted ag- ricultural concessions to Japanese in Lower California and to report the facts as quickly as possible.
 The land upwards of a million acres below the California, border was granted by the then president Diaz to the California Mexican Land company of Los Angeles, of which General Harrison Grey Otis of Los Angeles, was the leading figure. It was desert land with nothing growing on it but sage brush, cactus and chap paral. The soil, however, was rich in places so feet deep, formed by de- posits for generations by the Colorado river. It produced nothing for Mex ico 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.OOO,OO0 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 it should be settled these requirements are said to have been met by the American company When Diaz was deposed and the revolutionary period began, the Ame- ican settlers were driven from the land by revolutionists. Livestock was stolen and several settlers killed. For two years the land was uncared for and then the company found that Japanese settlers were willing to take up farms. The Japanese were pro- tected by the Mexicans. Short term leases are said to have been granted to Japanese farmers, but the Ameri- can owners refused to sell any of the land to the Japanese or to grant long term leases.
 Not New Idea
 Asting Secretary of the State Phil lips said that the Los Angeles corn pany proposed about two years agt to grant a Japanese corporation long term leases on large portion, if no all, of the tract. At that time thu company still was unable to maintain American settlers there, but whel the state department objected to tn proposed leases, the company droppe' its negotiations with the Japanese.
 When Senator Phelan of Californi recently informed the department tha negotiations had been resumed, tn companies attention was directed t the American governments attitude MT. Chandler who is also principe owner of the Los Angeles Times, is sued a statement as follows:
 American Companies Statement
 "So far as the alleged pending sal of California Mexico Land and Cattl companies property in Lower Cal fornia to Japenese syndicate is cor cerned, the owners of the land are ao herring to the declaration made b them to the secretary of state in Fet ruary 1917, in connection with tn proposed lease of a comparativel small section of the company's holC ings to Japanese tenants The flo lowing is an extract from a lettt written by me, as president of tf company and concurred in by tf stockholders of that company, date February 23, 1917, to the departmel of state at Washington:
 "While my company is anxious secure these reliable tenants, amp financed, to help develop our proper' in Mexico, we are first of all Amer can citizens and do not wish to maj any move which could in any wa prejudice question which always al pears to be a subject for agitatit between the two countries. We w not, under the circumstances, consid making lease of this kind to Ja anese, where colonization is probab until we are first authoritatively i formed that such arrangement will agreeable to the government of O own country. We believe that mo of the Japanese labor for this ente prise will come from the Pacific coa states and thus relieve to some exte the pressure of this class of peol now in the United States and will an advantage rather than diss vantage.
 During these ticklish times, we, large land owners in Mexico, are termined to use scrupulous care having this matter thoroughly thre' ed out in advance"
 Bought Land Outright
 q desire to call attention to an
 TOT in the statement made by Mexican assistant secretary Of fom' %o Caporol AnadO A p1lirre as