Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-28
United St, teS TWiCe
Held Part Of Mexico

Suggestions that Lower California
be bought by the United States from
Mexico prompted the National Geo
graphic Society to issue q buiietln
concerning an area which Is described
by one senatorial advocate of such
purchase as the vermiform appendix
Of Mexico and the Achilles heel OF
the United States.
TT may be unknown to many that
the United States or Its citizens nave
twice had complete possession OF
Lower California" says the bulletin
which is based on a communication
to the Society by E. w. Nelson.
During the Mexican War, in lS47.
the forces of the United States occu-
pied he principal points in the PENN
sula and declared 1t American terri
tory, but relinquished 1t at the close
of hostilities. In 1S53-54 1t was a
captured and a government tellpo,-
arily organized by bands or Ameri-
can flibusters under Walker. rms
iu-advised venture lacked support ana
ouicklyy came to a disastrous end.
Lower California is the Ion mar
row peninsula that projects ABOUT ooV
miles s~outheasterly from the
border of California. Its width varies
from about 80 to over 100 miles, ana
its Irregular coast-line, over 2'ooo
miles long, IS pOTQSiOo W
islands. Being mainly a mountainous.
desert region, it is thinly peopled n
presents many sharply contrasting
contrasting conditions. Low. sun
scorched plains, where death by
thirst awaits the unwary traveller, lie
close to the bases of towering granite
peaks. belted with waving pine forests
and capped in winter by cleaning
snow.
vast desolate p%lateaus of ragged
black embosom gem-like valleys,
where verdure-bordered streams and
the spreading fronds of date palms
recall the mysterious hidden wales
Of the ARABIAN Nights" The west
ern coast Is bathed by cool waters
and abundant fogs. while the eastern
shore Is laved by the waves OF a warm
inland sea, sparkling under almost
continuous sunshine.
"Although adjoining some of u
best known territory and with a rec
orded history which goes back almost
four centuries and teens with varied
events, the peninsula still remains
one Of the ~least-known parts of North
America. The early chronicles tell
of its discovery In 1888 by an expedi-
tion sent out by Cortes In search OF
a tabulously rich island said to have
been inhabited by Amazons.
III mas Deen eSLluldLeu tldl III LiS
time of its discovery the peninsula.
including many OF the bordering ISL
ands. was peopled by about $4,000
Indians. The Inhabitants vigorously
resented the intrusion Of newcomers,
and for more than a century efforts to
establish military colonies in the new
land resulted In disastrous failures.
During one period in its history
the southern shores of the peninsula
| served as the lurking place of Sir
Francis Drake and other freebooters
! living in wait for the treasure-laden
| Spanish ~galleons IN their annual voy-
| ages from Manila to Mexico.
afterwards. during the first two
/ thirds of the last century, those shores
| were visited by numerous half-pirate
| smugglers and by fleets of whalers
and sealers, drawn there by the
swarming abundance of whales. fur
! seal. sea elephants. and sea otter
! So ruthless was the pursuit of these
animals that In a few decades they
we're on the verge of determination,
and the business ended. apparently
forever. =,
| ma rts of the peninsula nave been visit
ed. mainly by Americans. in search
, of mines and other natural resources
but little of the knowledge thus gain
| ed has become available to the publc
| Gold. silver, copper. iron. n other
| minerals and much fertile land have
been found. but the scarcity of water
| fuel. forage. and the difficulties O.
TRANSFORMATION have united with other
| causes to bring about many failures
In the attempts to develop these re-
sources. -
.The isolation of the desert low.
lands of Lower California. combined
with alterations of long-continuee
| droughts and heavy rains, has result
ed In the development of the richest
and most extraordinary desert fora u
the world.
Zone morning, In front OF Magda-