The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-08-25
MEXICAN STATEMENT
IN DEFENSE OF OIL
Legal Review Maintains Right OF
Country 10 Nationaiizc territory
Through Legislation.

ny NN NAhRf lANNu I'VE
MEXICO CITY, Aug - -- The
right OF the constituent legislator Is
almost unlimited and can not be
checked when dealing with the pub
lie organization by right acquired
by private parties. Examples which
have been cited are sufficient 10
demonstrate that when the cuusti-
tuent legislator bas considered 70 Of
general interest 10 enact any law
OF retroactive effect, he has done
so even n he has passed over ac-
quircd rights OF many years which
have been sanctioned almost as
rights inherent 10 man Tho only
fundamental question rs this
rs the public interest az stake
when petroleum laws have been on
acted2 Evidently. yes. Then the
state has the right 10 enact such
laws"
These statements express briefly.
and in part. the legal grounds upon
which the Mexican government bases
the right Of the constituent assembly
OF Qucretaro which enacted the Mex
lean constitution Of 1917 90 place In
that document article q nutlon1liz-
ing the oil lands They also pro
vide a defense for the presidential
DEGREES on petroleum developing
article n, which foreign oil interests
are attacking as ConfisCatory
The statements themselves nre|
taken from official documents given
TO the correspondent exclusively boy
Leon Salinas. sub secretary Of COM
mercc and Industry and al present
head OF that department and also
chief of the petroleum bureau NJ the
department They supplement al
statement given TO the Associated
Prcss by Senior Salinas on August
2l and form the preliminary drafts
of summary furuishoa. the McNl
can congress by the department OF
commerce and Industry for tho COM
ing consideration ~ OF Legislation.
The defense OF the rctroactivitv ~
article 27 and the subsequent presi-
dental drcrecs Bs prepared hy At
turney Eloroudy. which furN9s ptr'
Of the governments defense Of iiH
attitude on petroleum, continues in
part as follows,
THE only serious article which
apparently N OF great force Ia that
declaring the petroleum law ubso-
lutey retroactive This. Argument
can be answered from two points
constitutional and common lcElslr-
tion Regarding the first point, the
theory hereby sustained is ,hat the
constituent legislator can almost all
ways esta blish iu C0uutry'S con.
ftiuuon an legal principles which
IN his Judgment are good for the ma
tion In such manner that whatever
rights are established hy another an
tcriOr constitution. new ConstItu-
tion can dcrogate them without dif-
Ncultyl
The reason is than laws which
ordaiu o nation form Of govern
rhent. regl SN~.'r'f ownership. economic.
systems ard so forth are not Inn
mu,ahle. because ~ nations progress
and radical evolution takes place
In an the sources ~ ita products 20
is impossible that an legislation could
be appropriate 10 modern times
The document then quotes ~
length from Francois t1urcurs
work on rivl law From tho citations
given, the document draws tho con.
clusion that "tho right ~ thc com
stltucut legislator when dealing with
the public organization CON not ho
checked by rights acquired by pri-
ygte paruca