Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-30
MEXICO TAKES
FIRST STEP TO
EASE TENSION
Action OF Its Senate On
Oil Property Rights
Held Favorable.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
(CoDvright. 1919. bv The Argus)

may mean a great deal toward a
peaceful solution Of the troubles
that have kept the relations be
! tween the two countries on the
edge OF a break in recent weeks.
! The Mexican senate has voted to
recognize the rights of all proper
ties, oil and minerals, acquired
! legirimately before MAY /, 1917,
when the new constitution Of Mex
ica went into effect.
Should the lower house in the
Mexican congress adopt the same
attitude and the bill become law,
everything that Ambassador Flet-
cher and the department of state
! have been contending for in this
most vital dispute between the two
countries will have been granted.
There will still remain as a source
of irritation the protection OF
American lives in Mexico, and it
is an open secret that the Wash
ington government is much more
/ concerned about that phase of the
! Mexican problem than the legal
questions involved in property
controversies.
Nevertheless, a recognition by
Mexico that her new constitution
is not going to be retroactive and
affect titles acquired previous to
its PRONUNCIATION in May, 1917,
would be a step that would have
an important moral effect in Off
cial circles here for it would be
looked upon as a willingness at
least to discover what are the
roots of Mexican n-American fric-
ton. With a disposition on Mexi-
cos part to investigate the true
causes of the estrsngement which
has been gradually coming 20 the
surface in recent weeks, progress
will have been made toward q set
tlement without the use OF force.
President Wilson and Secretary
Lansing are not sponsors directly
or indirectly for the talk of armed
Intervention which has lately been
filing both American and Mexican
papers. but the inroads on Ameri-
can public opinion made by the re-
peated failure of the Washington
government to establish harmon
ious relations with the CaTranza
government aEe a factor that has
not escaped attention.
Fletcher's Stay Significant
For instance. it is significant that
Ambassador Fletcher remains in
Washington as a sort of counselor
at the department of state. It is
true that he is taking Mr.. Polk's
place at the side of Secretary
Lansing and is advising on all
Latin-American affairs, but were
the department of state of the
opinion that he could be of more
good in Strengthening out its trou-
bles with Mexico he certainly
would be in Mexico City. George
Summerlin, charge d'affairs, is
well able TO care for American in
terests. but Mr.. Fletcher's prolo1g-
ed absence has a definite meaning.
He is not going back to Mexico
until it is apparent that his efforts
to establish good relations are re-
ceived with better grace than they
have been. The action of the Mex
lean senate is the first step in that
direction and is of such an en-
couraging character that it would
not be surprising to see Mr.. F1etch-
er returning to Mexico as soon as
the oil controversy is settled and
begin negotiation in person with
the Mexican authorities relative to
the importance of concentrating
attention on the protection of
Americans resident in Mexico
Deny Intervention support.
So far as armed Intervention IL
concerned. the oil people have re-
peatedly denied both publicly and
in their confidential conversations
with the state department that they
are behind the propaganda for
armed Intervention. The existence
of such propaganda inside the
United States is recognized by the
department of state, but it feels
powerless to combat it so long as
Mexico's efforts to give protection
to American lives are without avail.
The sending of troops into Mexican
territory after bandits had become
a settled policy of the Washington
government. There is no intention
to occupy Mexican territory for
any length of time. Indeed, it is
doubtful whether anything as ex-
CenSlVe as tne BeFSnlnS eXped1uOD
will be sent into Mexico unless
armed intervention is decided up
on. Operations on the border for
the present will be confined to an
immediate pursuit of any bandits
who attack Americans. This pur-
suit will be ordered into any terri
tory where the Carranza govern
ment may be unable to cope with
bandits. Just as soon as each
is accomplished the Amer
lean troops will be withdrawn No
fighting will be permitted on the
border if It endangers the lives of
Armed intervention is
still an undetermined question.
Officials will not fatty say it is
impossible They will merely say
that no such move is at present
contemplated They used to say
that under no circumstances would