Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-04-01
PROBE REPORT OF LAND
 SALE TO JAPANESE
(Continued From Page One.)

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 made bp them to the secretary of state in February, 1917, in connection with the proposed lease of . com parativelyY small section of the com
 pany'ss holdings to Japanese tenants.
 The following is an extract from letter written by me, as president oi
 the company and concurred in by
 the stockholders of the company,
 dated February 23, 1917, to the de-
 partment of state at Washington:
 "sWhile my company is anxious to
 secure these reliable tenants, amply financed. to help develop our proper ty in Mexico, we are first of all Am erican citizens and do not wish to make any move which could Tn any way prejudice question which al ways appears to be q subject for agl- tation between the two countries. We will not, under the circumstances consider making any lease of the |kind to Japan, where colonization IS probable until we are first authors tatively informed that such arrange ment will be agreeable to the govern ment of our own country. We be- lieye that most of the Japanese la 1 bor for this enterprise will come from the Pacific coast states, and thus re- llieve to some extent the pressure of l this class of people now in the United States and will be an advantage rath-
 CT than disadvantage.
 "sDuring these ticklish times we 1 as large land owners in Mexico, are < determined to use scrupulous care m q having this matter thoroughly thresh- \ ed out in advance
 ;l Tells of Leases.
 ssThe main body of the letter recit. led all the details of the proposed lleases and the portion quoted still depressed the attitude of the owners 'l of the property. I desire to call atten. 'I tion to an error in the statement made bv he Mexican assistant secre' ltary of Fomento General Amads l |Aguirre. as reported in The Asso
 lciated Press dispatches dated Marcf .l29, to the effect that the California \ Mexican Land and Cattle company'' titles came through a concession fr,+ frc+a 1.-the former Mexican goXso ren.;
 Neither the Californiar it's Urantnrs land Cattle conpanFeceived anv con-
 lever asked for portion of tie lands cesslons loF our company from the
 now hnent of Mexico.
 Ilgr1he lands our company owns and Scontrols were acquired by direct purchase for cash at the full price asked fro mthe Mexican governments
 and no concession of any kind were ever asked for or received in con-
 nection with the purchase oe onr
 landed property. After our companv
 took an option on the land snd be. fore the purchase was finally con summated, a most exhaustive re- search of the records of title. as shown by the public records. was made by trained title searchers and the condition of our title. after this investigation, was shown to bc asi stated above. to-wit: What we be- ,leve to be the most perfect title in Mexico: The reference by the Mexi- can official to special concessions made m connection with the sale of !hese lands must refer to lands ad- joining ours which were secured sbv nn American syndicate headed bv |. F. Morgan. at about the time that onr lands were purchased from the Mexlcan government Their titles were secured through concession which nrovides for special coloniza- ion efforts on the part of the pur- 'hasing syndicate.
 Would Sell Mexicans. ' Pastor Roux. secretary of the Mexican Fomento, visited Lower ;alifornia year ago and represen. ative of our company offered to con 'ey to the Mexican colonists at any ! easonable price which could mu- !, ually be agreed upon. such acreage s might be required for Mexican 2 olonization and so far as we know. 1 '
 very satisfactory understanding !. xists between ourselves and the ! :, Iexlcan governments department of 7 omento (interior). .
 II is fair to say that the Japan. ., " 'e who were negotiating for a lease c ., that time. took precisely the same R ew, as prospective tenants, that Ii 'e owners of the land took. tb-wit: n F