Evening star., 1921-12-25

even those who fought our soldiers,
filling distant graves with fine Ameri-
can lads-found themselves hungry
after the war ended, they organized
appeals to us with an earnestness and
ingenuity unparalleled in the history
of scientific begging. The Mexicans,
as sorely suffering, made no appeal
whatever. These are good things for
Americans to think about.
PERSONALLY. 1 believe it hurts a
Mexican to starve to death as much
as it hurts an Austrian. Personally.
am as sorry for a dying Mexican
baby as I am for one who gasps and
struggles for its f1eeting breath in
Russia There has been something
fundamentally wrong about our atti-
tude toward Mexico. We go to Eu-
rope, to the near east and .the far east,
pouring out our money and our ef-
fort among crude and uncouth peo-
pie, with the thought that we are
building for the future. helping to
create new nations. We yearn to
help. When it comes to Mexico, for
no reason I can believe is sound, we
say, oh, that is Mexico. and always
will be Mexico-a hopeless undertak-
ing"
There is material for development
in Mexico, human and otherwise, of
worth to be found, perhaps, in no
blame is not entirely ours. Mexico
is unfortunate in the possession of in
credible wealth which may be ex-
tracted, and may forthwith, without
manufacture. be carried off by those
who seize or buy at lowest market
the sort of wealth which most at
tracts the predatory. ruthless busi-
ness man who at one time possessed
enormous strength in the United
States.
X X X
"NTEXICO gets no benefit whatever,
~'s other than the employment of
labor and some slight taxation, from the
oil and gold and other minerals which
foreign business men extract from her
treasure chambers and carry away.
If the little tax which Mexico i'm
poses seems high, these foreign busi-
ness men complain to their own gov
ernmentS about it. and those govern
ments-this has been particularly true
of ours-frown fiercely upon Mexico.
endeavoring to decrease even her
small revenue.
1T seems a little sad, almost pa
thetic, when one thinks of it in this
way After all, these natural re-
sources are the richest things that
Mexico possesses. and the tax is all that
she can ask for them.
/, Mexico is helpless in more ways
nature which requires big business
effort, which Mexico cannot supply.
! Only in the last decade. under the
leadership of such men as Judge
Gary, Charles Schwab and others, has
big business been willing to give any
share to those who have been it's
chief sources of wealth even within
our own borders.
Some big business men now real
iZe that 1t IS not tnelr Junction Here-
ly to make money for themselves and
their shareholders, but that they are
on earth particularly to do big, con-
structive work. A little of this spirit
has got into American big business
down in Mexico, but it has reached
there late and time will be required
ere it can overcome the nettles of
suspicion and distrust which have
been grown from the seeds sown by
the ruthless exploiters of bygone
days.
american of interests in Mexico
have been short-sighted beyond any
words which I can find, even if the
matter be considered solely from
selfish standpoint. They have not
seemed to try to understand the Latin
temperament or business"
Now Mr.. Fankhauser revealed the
great achievement which Mexico has
placed to her credit within recent
| months.
"And is Mexico incompetent. un-
able to look after herself, without
business ability. devoid Of RALLY ma