The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-06-04


Negri, carried Obregon s pledge to pro
teet American citizens and American
property rights in Mexico"
The Wall Street Journal remarked
a short time ago that petroleum com
panies need not be disturbed over the
increase of the export duty on petro
leum from 80 cents to 54 cents a ton
scheduled to go into effect May 25, fol-
from all appearances Carranza will
not be in Mexico on the date when the
increase is scheduled to go into eff
fect.'
An extra of Gel Heraldo de Mexi
coz, the Mexico City daily owned by
Ex-Governor Alvarado of Yucatan, erst
while "Socialist (S) and now alated
for Secretary of the Treasury accord
ing to reports, carried an account OF
a banquet in New York attended by
E. L. Doheny, Secretary of the Interio,
Lane and representatives of the Stand
ard Oil Co., the Continental Rubber
Co., the Texas Oil Co., the Southern
Oil Transport Co.. Island Oil Co.
United Fruit Co., Continental Oil Co
In this banquet, according to "E
Heraldo," ObregOn was acclaimed as
the men that Mexico needed" and
great satisfaction was expressed with
the termination of the revolution.
The attitude of prominent official
in the Texas Oil Co. is of interest as
revealing the change of mind that he
experienced. In the first few DAYS OF
the Obregon uprising he told certain
persons confidentially that the situa
tion looked very bad. ,,Obregon is as
bad as a Bolshevist," he asserted
Some days after Obregon had entered
Mexico City, however, he told these
same persons that he was satified
that "the new government is going to
do the right thing and Obregon won 7
repeat any of his radical business of
4 few years ago" He had previously
declared that "Bonillas would be a
much better man for American inter
cStS. He was plainly for Bonillas would
be much better man for American
interests. !" He was plainly for Bonillas
in the first place but later received
assurance that the new administration
would do nothing antagonistic.
Tampico correspondents assure me
that the "Socialist Party" in that
city held a convention that endorsed
Obregon almost unanimously, but which
appears to have been organized by
Obregonistas as campaign auxiliary
having no previous existence, is prac
tically bourgeois organization. Al
the convention the subject of Russia
vas not mentioned, the word Bolshe
vism was taboo and the principa
speakers for Obregon asserted that he
would ''enforce labor laws already
existing" That this had not been done
heretofore, is true enough, and if the
promise is kept, the workers will bene
fiji materially yet this can hardly be
confused with Socialism.
The status of labor in Tampicc
has been especially wretehed for al
though high wages are paid in many
cases by the petroleum companies, the
prices are outrageous and far out Of
proportion to the wages. 1t is practical
ly impossible to get for less than 81
American money, dinner that costs
the equivalent of 30 or 35 cents, Amer
:can money, in Mexico City. Colonel
Orozco, Carranza appointee and
friend, was head of the police depart
ment during the old regime, and hi;
brutality in dealing with the labor
unions was notorious. Both I. ". w
unions were forced to suspend meet
ings. their halls shut up and their mem.
hers beaten and jailed as autocratically
rs in the United States. Although the
Carranza officials constantly fought the
American corporations and tried ia
force them to pay higher-and quite
lustifiable-taxes. they were in turn
grating and spending public funds
with shameful extravaganza, and any.
body who dared expose their rotten
ness, was hrowbeaten, bullied or bribel
into silence.
Writing from Tampieo, friend says
"The Labor situation is quiet here at
present but may develop strikes at any
time, as wages while higher than the
average in Mexico, are far from equal
ing the terrific cost Of living. I am
continually astounded by prices OF
food and clothes "
c. F. Bertelli, Universal Service
staff correspondent, in a Paris dispatch
to the American press, says that the
0bregon revolution was planned and
financed by group of wealthy Mexi
can exiles in the French capital. lie
names Francisco Iturbe, millionaire
backer Of General Angeles, whose re
volnton of a little over a year ago
ended abruptly when he was captured
and executed; Jose Diaz, Mexican rub
her king cousin of Porfirio Diaz
whose estates in Yucatan and Tehuan
tepec were confiscaied by Carranza;
Ramon Garcia, adviser to the lat;
Victoriano Huerta: Jesus Tgnacio Hi
ramas, millionaire Diaz follower: Juan
Estrada, Mexican song writer living in
Madrid; IIiraldo Cabreras, colonel Ill,
der Madero, and J. y. Iimantour
minister of finance in the Diaz regime
as the abcttors of the schame. JossC
Diaz, he says, is now going to London
Ms head Of the English branch of the
revolutionary junta, the object oi
which, according to his information, is
to replace the scientificos and re
store the iron reign of the days OF
Porfirio Diaz.
Such story is by no means i'm
probable and Bertelli is too depend
able a news correspondent to send il
out without a strong belief in its re
liability. II is notorious fact that
Obegon has utilized the services Of any
and all classes in his uprising agaius,
Carranza, and il would not be surpris
ing il he had the financial backing OF
the old niaz leaders who have beer
cxilcd since Carranze came into power
obregon's Compromise
Means New Revolt.