Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-21
HUERTA PROMISES
TO AID OIL OWNERS
Mexican President Says Pc
tr0Ieum Laws Will Be Lib
orally Interpreted.

MEXICO CITY, June 81 (by the AS
ISOLATED Press).-Mexican petroleum
laws based upon article 81 of the
constitution, nationalizing deposits Of
oil. which article will be interpreted
literally. will not be retroactive, de-
clared Adolfo de la Huerta, provis-
ional president, to foreign corre-
spondents. Senior de la Huerta spoke
freely in discussing problems before
the country. being host at a luncheon
to the newspaper men.
The policy of friendship toward for
eign nations, especially the United
States, together with the assumption
of all legally contracted debts of the
Mexican republic. is part of the
provisional presidents program.
Has Attack of Illness.
During the two hours the president
talked with the correspondents he
answered a rapid fire Of questions as
with amazing frankness. Once he had
sudden attack of illness and was
forced to cease speaking for several
moments. This attack. which alarmed
the guests, came when the provisional
president was talking of the uprising
aga inst President Carranza and had
said orders had been given Gen. Joan
:. Torres. at Hermosillo, to arrest
de la Huerta, but that when the
general arrived in Sonora he refused
~ opcS oIdcIS ne pToNlSiOlidl piSSl-
dent refused to leave the table because
of his illness, and in few minutes
resumed his marathon of events. He
did not throw any new light upon
events attending the Sonora revolt
which spread to all parts of the re-
public and finally resulted in the
flight and death of CarranZa.
Evades Issue ON Loans.
Asked specifically what he meant
by debts legally contracted" the
president replied, 1aughingly: please
do not confuse me with the former
president tVictoriano Huerta). al
though our names are almost alike
With regard to Mexican foreign
loan, he evaded the issue by declar-
ing: These conversations with for
eign journalists are the first steps
which have been taken in this di-
rection.'
Mexico faces two problems at pres
ent," he continued These are the
economic and military problems
Mexico is more completely pacifieo
now than during the time of Por.
firio Diaz. Villa whose status is tina.
of a mere bandit, is not military
problem. AirplaneS are being sent
to locate Villa, who, pursued relent-
1essly, will soon be eliminated.
THE organization of the army.
without delay under the leadershiF
Of Plutarco Elias Gales, the war min
ister."
Lifts Censorship ON News.
Asked regarding censorship of news
dispatches, the president declared he
had not been aware a censorship ex-
listed.
Turning to his chief of staff, Col.
RobireZ, he ordered that the censor
ship be abolished Immediately. He
explained the censors probably were
leftovers from the former admins
tration.
Congress in Session Today.
Congress. at the opening of it's
special session today. will begin dis
cussion of many questions of vital
interest to the country. Among the
subjects on it's program are the for
eign debt, bank reorganization, Pc
troleum, coinage. customs, sanitation,
foreign commerce, revenues and the
merchant marine.
A political conference, attended by
Gen. Obregon. Gen. p. Elias Gales.
minister of war, and Gen. Antonio
villareal, minister of agriculture,
took place at Pachuca yesterday.