The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-23
MEXICO AND OIL.

The continuance of revolutionary
activity in Mexico frequently has been
charged to the activities of American
oil interests in that country. 1t has
asserted frequently that the cam
paigns OF revolutionary leaders, Villa
in particular. have been financed by
these interests. Some light on this
subject may be gained from an article
written by F. Beckwith Davis, appear
ing in Leslie's. In part it follows:
The romance CT Mexican oil Is one
Of the most interesting chapters of
industrial history; but the romance of
Mexican oil propaganda is even more
fascinating. 1t is romance full of
intrigue, trickery. deceit, the confu-
sion of statesmen, the browbeating of
officials. and alas, touched here and
there with tragedy with the stories of
brave men shot down in ambush.
robbed OF everything they possessed,
and either left to make their I'M
charted way thru the Jungle, naked to
the brush and insects OF tropical
swamps, or their bodies left stark in
the forests for the beasts to prey on
and the purifying buzzard to clean. \
But it will come as a shock to most
people to know that the propaganda
has been one-sided. and the side that
has made use OF this lever on public
opinion to shift the great RESPONSE
oility Of murder, theft ard political
trickery from its shoulders has been
the Mexican side. The American pub
lie has been deceived. Americans
have been the victims. The bodies
left to rot in the steaming swamps
have been the bodies OF American
citizens. The statesmen who have had
the wool pulled over their eyes have
been Americans. The people who have
been despoiled Of their property have
been those whose rights II was the
duty of the United states government
to protect in whatever part of the
world they were, for they were citi-
zens OF this great republic, who had
gone into Mexico in search of oil
needed by this country. the develop
ment of which had resulted in untold
benefit to Mexico herself.
The Mexican oil propaganda began
in 1911, when Porfirio Diaz. his star
waning and with the wolves of re-
volt close on his heels. raised the cry
that the Standard OIL was backing
Madero with oil money. This was the
birth of the Romance of Mexican OIL
Propaganda. Diaz could explain the
Madero successes only by exposing
the dry-rot of his system, and to
avoid this confession he and his sup
| porters filled the Mexican. British and
| American newspapers with accusa-
1
Waters-Pierce company. charging that
| the company was furnishing arms.
munitions and vast sums OF money to
the Maderistas
The object of DIaz was. Of course.
to discfedit Madero in the eyes of
the American public. to shift the re-
sponsibility for the failure to suppress
the revolution from his own shoulders
TO the oil company. Madero won.
but this first blast OF oil propaganda
| also won, and its victory was more
| enduring than Madero's. So success
| full was this initial use of oil propa-
zandR that the senate OF the United
I States appointed a committee to in
vestigate the charges. and after nu-
merous hearings and the testimony
OF many witnesses which filled 400
pages. this committee developed the
| incontrovertible fact that the charges
were utterly unfounded.
In spite OF the facts that this in
vestigation disclosed. in spite of the
proved falsity OF the charge and in
| the face OF the established fact that
/ Interference with Mexico's internal af-
I fairs would be the worst possible poll
Icy for the oil companies to pursue.
the impression that Mexican revolu-
ton is the story OF oil. that oil in
| fluence is back OF all the trouble in
Mexico. is still abroad, and is played
upon by every amateur journalistic
and reform expert and by every Mex
lean government that needs something
on which TO blame its own ineptitude,
mfsfortunes or failures.