Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-06
MEXICO s CLAIMS
ARE DISPUTED BY
PETROLEUM MEN
Carranza Governments Atti-
tude Toward Oil Industry is
UntenabIe, Is Contention Of
American Association,

teN hoShiha loJFNAL SPECIAL LEASED HEl
Washington, Oct. 5.-lnformal rep
resentations filed with the state de-
partment, the Association of Produc-
ers of Petroleum takes Issue with re-
cent declarations made in Mexico City
by Leon Salinas acting head of the
Mexican department of industry and
commerce and chief of the oil bureau
of that department, iustfylng the
Carranza governments attitude on
the confiscation question. Beside, re.
futing statements by Salinas, the pc
troleum producers again charge that
the acts of the Carranza government,
against which they complain. are in
violation of the laws of Mexico itself
and in contraventlon of the accepted
laws or nations.
1T is admitted says the statement,
that the question of proprietorship
of coal lands in Mexico and the Span
ish colonies was subject of contention;
hut nowhere in the Spanish grants or
subsequent ordinances of the spanish
crown was petroleum treated as the
kings patrimony or the property of
the nation If any contention did
exist Ii was set at rest in Mexico by
the mining law of 1884.
Before this date neither coal nor
petroleum had been developed in
Mexico at all; the law of 1884 simply
cleared up a matter in question. From
that time, therefore, rights to coal and
oil were acquired by Americans under
this law and the laws to the same ef
feet of 1892 and 1910. BY the ex-
penditure of vast amounts of money
American individuals and companies
have given q value to these lands re-
lying upon the laws of Mexico. Their
tenure was never questioned; it fact
it was repeatedly ratified by acts of
Mexican courts and the Mexican gov
ernment has since 1912 continuously
recognized rights so acquired under
Mexican law by collecting taxes upon
the lands and upon the products.
THE Mexican governments con-
tention that Il mere change in consti-
tutional precept (appearing in a con-
stitution which itself prohibits any
retroactive legislation. which precept
against retroactive effect was called
to the attention Of the ambassador of
the United States, with an assurance
that no law or constitutional provision
would take effect rerroactively in ad-
vance of the presentation OF his Gre
dentials in February, 1910. may OPP
crate to divest foreigners of rights
legally acquired, has been well an
sWered by protests of your depart
ment. In harmony with such pro-
tests, the members of this association
have taken a united stand and re-
fused to be trapped by any of the ext
gencies of Mexican government de-
cree demanding the performance of
acts, the effect of which would be to
acquiesce in the confiscation and
render the American protests nuga-
tory.
Because we have refused to admit
the loss OF. our properties, the Mexican
government has seen fit to refuse us
permission to drill on our lands until
we perform such acts of acquiesence
The government has gone to the eX-
tent of sending armed forces to stop
the drilling of we'll on property of
a member of this association which
member had. in harmony with ,our
refused to acquiesce in con-
fiscation of his property In other
cases the Mexican government has
granted rights to third parties under
mining claims provided for in decrees
against which the American govern
ment has protested, and wells have
been and are being drilled on such
lands by such third parties.
"In reply to Secretary Salinas state
ment we beg leave TO call your atten-
tion to the fact that these acts. as is
well known to you, are in open Yio-
lation of the laws of Mexico under
which our investment of time, money
and energy was made, and violate the
accepted law Of nations"