The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-30
Frederic Haslzin's Letter
Land in MEXICO.

times the purchase price. There
was a scattering of mahogany ~
which single trees would be worth
six to eight hundred dollars each
laid down in New York.
This mans clients did not buy On
the options which he obtained. And
the reason they did not buy was
that a few days after he returned
from Mexico there was a great
radical demonstration in Mexico
City. More than 5000 men march
cd in a parade bearing the red flag
of bolshevism. Should a bolsbev7
ist revolution overthrow the pres
ent government, it is doubtful
whether any titles to large areas Of
land held by nonresident invest
ors would be good. These areas
would probably be divided among
the landless poor. The small land
owner living on his land would
probably not be molested.
Reds Are Strong.
This growing strength OF the
Red element in Mexico is the IN
known factor in the situation. ac-
cording to our informant. He saws
~
has never been realized in this
country. He points out that when
Red demonstration can get 5000
men in line, and when the demon
stration is carried out. red flags
and all, without molestation, the
Reds are a political force to be
reckoned with. On the other hand.
the great estates are rapidly being
broken up, and the land distriba.
ted in small tracts among the
poems. No doubt each peon who
gets a good farm ceases to be a
forthwith and becomes a
Constitutionalist When all who
want land have been given land,
the extreme radicalism will be con
fined to the industrial workers in
the large cities, and in Mexico they
are a small fraction of the popuIa-
ton
The trouble is, according to our
informant, that the breaking up
of the big estates is being carried
out clumsily and in a way that dis
rupts the economic life of the coun-
try. The great land owners are
being dispossessed of their lands
without any compensation. They
move away, taking their livestock
and tools. The poems who are Civ
en- the land have neither animals
nor machinery with which to work
it The result is confusion and
idle land.
An instance is related Of a man
who owned $4,000 acres of land. He
all of the several hun
dTed inhabitants of a village, most
ly Indians. His land was taken
away from him and given to the
Indians. He gathered up his pos
sessions, including his horses and
cattle, and prepared to move. A
delegation from the Indians waited
upon him, hat in hand. They beg
ged him not to go away, pointing
out that they had no means of cul-
tivating the land. An agreement
was finally reached by which no
seed, tools and livestock
while the Indians furnish the land
l. IS farmed on shares. Everything
goes on much as before. The form
er landlord is now the renter, and
the former renters are now the
But the difference is
nominal. Everyone had plenty 10
eat before and everyone still has
plenty to eat.
In other instances the adjust
nent has not been smade so easily
Lands have been left idle. Dis
possessed landlords have sold out
and have left the country.
1t would seem to be this read
lustment of the land tenure which
threatens the stability of the conn
Try. Once it is over, the country
will probably settle down to IN
era of production and prosperity,
t it is not disturbed from without
For it will be a land of contentsd
sgriculturists owning their own
and. Such men furnish no stuff
or revolution. Mexico's 10 years
If revolution have been caused By
political opportunists leading bands
If land-hungry poems. With the
and hungry appeased, the force
which the professional revolution
SITS manipulated will be gone. AID F
he average of intelligence and ur
in the Mexican elect0r-
tie will be raised by infusions Of
European immigration
Eor good land draws good men.
The United States drew high class
# immigrants just as long as
lad a good grade of land to offer
hem. And when it had nothing but
| shovel il a ditch or a needle N
/ sweat shop to offer them, it be-
IAN to draw a poor class Of imml'
rants. Mexico is a land Of IN
lsed natural wealth which VIII
raw a wealth of human brain anu
3rawn to it.