Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-16
Turning to Mexico for on.

The wonderful natural resources Of
Mexico bid fair to be developed now, If
the "greasers' and Indians and outlaws
can be induced to give up the musket for
the shovel and the pick, or in other words
stop pretending to fight and go to work.
Already our government announces that
we must regard the country to the south
of the Rio Grandc Al the oil reservoir OF
the Western Hemisphere, and shows that
with her wells but II per cent developed
she is the second oil-producing country in
the world. Mexico's supply of petroleum
is believed to be literally inexhaustible.
Indeed, new wells are being put in opera
ton every day, until it would seem that
almost the entire country is flowing with
the treasure. II is estimated that the
output this year will reach 125,OOO,OOO
barrels for export, in addition to that con-
sumed ut home.
Oil is but one of the many valuable
products of Mexico. There can be no
doubt the Republic to our south IS, IN
many respects, the richest country III the
world Her minerals, her forests, her
pastures, the fertility of the soil, all go to
make the resources Of that country valu-
able beyond computation, and with the
restoration of peace, or the end OF the
disturbing little fare-ups of the ambitious
and impecunious exploiters OF the couh-
try, wealth would pore into her Golfers
and all other countries would be benehted
by her products.
However, it is almost too much to ex-
pect that Mexico will settle down TO hard
and consistent work. The Mexican is
temperamentally opposed to manual
labor, and the poems and Indians ma
fighting more profitable and less enervating
than honest toll. So the hope for any con-
siderable and immediate period OF quiet IN
the Republic can be entertained only py
the most optimistic. In addition to all the
temptations to rebel at whatever govep-
ment may exist, the outside capitalists are
50 strongly lured to the deposits OF OIL
and silver and the other mine products,
that they usually are keen to keep alive
the discord and guerrilla warfare, IN the
hope that the United States may inter-
vene and enable them to realize on their
there, under strong ana
stable form of government.
While the riches Of Mexico are akin to
the fabulous, there are so many things
that stand in the way Of the effective
of her resources that one cannot
count upon her to come to the aid OF other
countries with her essential products
oil-when the outside supplies
are at the point of near exhaustion.
One who recalls the discovery OF oil
in such great volume in Pennsylvania,
after the Civil War, and subsequently
in almost every other section OF the coun-
try. will be surprised, if he has not fol-
lowed the situation, to know that the Unit
ed States reached the peak of petroleum
production several years ago. The output
Of last year was 40 per cent below the
high mark of the record of oil production
in our country.
We are prone to look upon the vast de-
posits of coal. or oil, as literally mex
haustible; but we come to find that with
our tremendous consumption of every
thing that enters into daily living and
the vanishing period never fails
to come before it is anticipated. How
ever, the supply of oil is SO widespread and
20 voluminous in almost every quarter OF
The world, that il is difficult to foresee the
1eralded scarcity of a commodity that
nav be said to be daily need OF all peo-
ole