New-York tribune., 1919-08-25


garding the government standpoint on
the questions at issue and the means
which Mexico can rightfully adopt to
meet foreign govcrnm representa-
TONS
Indirect Reply to Critics
The declarations of the Secretary
are somewhat of an indirect reply to
critics Of the Administration, who
have been intimating that Cabinet
changes were necessary preliminary to
meeting the present international
problems.
Taking up figures which he said
were quoted recently in the United
States Senate regarding Mexico's debt,
Senior Cabrera asserted that. including
every item, Mexico's obligations could
Promising details and exact figures
shortly, Nhe said the total debts could
be given roughly as follows:
Damages resulting from the Madero
and Constitutionalst revolutions, S6,-
100000 pesos ($43,0O0,0O0. normal
valuc); decentralization to foreign in
terests for the use of railways and
other public utilities, 100,000,000 pesos
(s50 ,000000); the remainder of $780,
tion of paper money, interest unpaid
on the foreign debt and the amount
due banks.
Naturalization Defended
The legal grounds upon which the
Mexican government bases the right
of the Constituent Assembly of Quere-
taro. which enacted the Mexican con-
stitution of 1917, to place in that docu-
ment Article 81, nationalizing the oil
lands, are expressed in statement by
Leon Salinas, ub-Secretary of Com
merce and Industry and at present
head of that department and also chief
of the petroleum bureau of the depart
ment. The statement defends the presi-
dental DEGREES on petroleum, develop
ing Article 27, which foreign oil in
trests are attacking as confiscatory.
1t supplements statement given out
by Senor. Salinas on August 81 and
forms the preliminary drafts of sum-
by the Department of Commerce and
Industry for the coming consideration
of oil legislation.
The document asserts that "the
right of the constituent legislator,
when dealing with the public organiza-
ton, cannot be checked by rights ac-
quired by private parties" The claim
is then made that a new constitution
does not attack civilization, morals,
guarantees of life or natural rights ia
a way that would cause social
catastrophe. 1t says in part:
"Article 27 of the ruling constitu-
ton has introduced necessary re-
form in the judgment of the legs-
lators concerning the regime of petro-
leum land ownership. Within the the
ory already expressed by the consti-
tuition, the Congress of Queretaro was
within its most absolute right to in
troducc this reform and give the law
retroactive effect. This constitutional
reform is considered necessary for the
benefit of the majority and for So
clety in general, since that reform
would result in the state having in
hand the means of developing it's petro-
llferous wealth on q larger scale than
formerly, and this wealth would not.
as in former times, be the special
patrimony of a few powerful corpora
tlons, who have given the nation only
insignificant participation in the eMor-
nous incomes they have obtained for
thomselves'
Referring to various citations and
examples of retroactive laws in
France, the document asks: "Why
cannot a law like the one that has
been enacted in Mexico on petroleum
be considered legal and just when it
NOSo NV ittiliiy dCQuiIcu property
rights, but simply subjects them to
| certain requisites to be Waldo"
The assertion is made that there is
an apparent analogy with mining legis-
lation which has had retroactive ef-
feet, "but now every one accepts that
mines are not the property of the
owner of the land" The conclusion
drawn is: "The only fundamental
question is this: Is the public interest
at stake when petroleum laws have
been enacted? Evidently yes. Then
the state has had the right to enact
! such laws"
An additional and supplementary
statement furnished the correspondent
from the same source gives the land
In Mexico owned and leased by petro-
leum companies and individuals,
summary of the mass of figures sub
mltted showing that 677,553 hectares
are owned and 2,012,604 hectares are
leased, hectare being about two and
onehalf acres.