The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-07-12
MEXICO LAYS CLAIM
TO PACIFIC ISLANDS
e'ainG Original Discovery Was by
Spain and No Transfer to
United States

San Antonio, Tex, July l2.-Conten
tions upon which Mexico may base
her claims to number of islands
lust off the coast of California in the
Paciiic Ocean, which are now occupi.
ed by Americans aud are under the
control of the United States, are sum.
med up In report made to President
Obregon by General Amado Aguirre.
sub-secretary of agriculture and chief
|of the commission making study OF
the Islands, according to an account
In Excelsior, published in Mexico CITY
The report declares that the claim Of
Mexico to The Islands Is indlsputabIe,
but that the Mex can government is
willing for the islands to remaifi un-
der the American flag In return for
foreign credit the amount of which
was not stipulated.
Included in the group of islands Is
Santa Catalina, OF which William
W.T. gley, jr., of Chicago is the sole
owner. Offers are the Farallones
San Miguel, Santa Rosa. Santa Vera
cruz, Anacapa, Santa Barbara, San
Nicolas and San Clemente.
The arguments OF General Agulrre
In favor OF Mexico's claims to the is
lands, as published in Excelsior. are:
The United States Is not occupy
ING them by right OF discovery, be.
cause they were discovered n the Six
teenth Century by the Spaniard navi.
gator Cabrillo, who gave them TIE
namns which they now bear
They are not occupied by right of
purchase, as Mexico has never sold
them to any person or nation.
They are not occupied by right OF
conquest, for t]ey were never con-
QuereI
They are not occupied by right OF
territorial iurisd ction, because the
International code OF the United
States sets the principal that the ter
rltorial Jurisdiction Of nation can
not extend farther than a league from
shore, and the islands In question are
at r greater distance from the shore
OF the United States.
"The international code OF the Uni
ted States rejects the right OF con-
quest by stating that not all territory
conquered belongs TO the conquerors,
but only that part assigned by def
n te stipuatiOns OF duty authorized
treatieg-l1sY 10 u-G 1"e
Further proof of TIE claim of Mex
leo to the islands is cited in the de.
cree of the Queen OF Spain In 1898,
declaring that in the future all pos
sessions of the Kingdom OF New
Spain belonged TO the Republic of
Mexico sovereign nat on. For
many years Mexico actually exercised
control over the islands, II is assert.
eC
In substantiation OF the assertion
that Mexico exercised dominion over
the islands, Ii is po nted out tat II
decree was issued June 20, 1898, au-
thorizlng the Governor of California
to make grants of any part of the is-
lands to MeXieans. according to the,
stipillatiOns of the law of August 49,
1924. and that the titles tniparts ot.
the islands granted to Castillero and
Carol IN 1899 and 1S4l were nulliied-
by later DEGREES of President Santa
Anna in November 1853, by President
Alvarez in July, 1854. and by Presi'.
dent Comfort March 10. 1857. ,i.sl un
II is stated by Excelsior that Presi,
deuto 0bregon, may include the mat.
ter in General Agtirres report in FIJI
tire negotiations between Tn United
States and Mexico toward the accom-
pl shment OF proposed "Treaty of
and Commerce.