The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-06
ENGLAND HOLDS J. 5. CONVENTIONS
 NOT CONSISTENT
Reply to Oil Note Cites Ameri- can Attitude In Regard to'ln terests In Oil Properties
 In Mexico
Rx Associated Press

Lcndon, Aprll 5.-Americdn '0HtS' tions for equality of treatment for the citizens of all nations in mandatsd ter ritory are held by the British gov ernment to be scarcely consistent with the attitude of the United states toward American oil interests in Mex ico. The British view is expressed Tn a long reply to Secretary Colbys note of last November 20, which was made public here today.
 The British note expresses agree- ment with American argument that the worltfs oil resources should be open for development without refer ence to nationality, but notes that an act of the Philippine legislature in 1920, reserved development of public mineral lands there ito citizens of the United states or the Philippines"
 DELIVERED MARCH
 The note. signed by Lord Curzon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was delivered March 1, and was in answer to Secretary Colby's exceptions to the San Reno agreement between Great Britain and France relating to Petroleum resources in Mesopotamia That agreement Lord Curzon said, was not fully understood. it appeared. add ing that it aimed at no monopoly or exclusive rights"
 The Mesopotamian agreement was said by Lord Curzon to be. subject to oil concessions in the Villayats of Bag- dad and Mosul granted to British in- terests before the war and not to be treated 'merely as a matter of ab- stract principle" without reference to pre-war negotiations. Rights acquired in Palestine by the Standard Oil com- pany "are no stronger" than these British rights, the note added
 Request of the American govern mcnt that British rights thus acquired be disregarded, Lord Curzon added, was scarcely consistent with the at : titude adopted by the United States in regard to similar United States in- terests in oil properties in Mexico.'
 Lord Curzon cited MT. Colby's letter of November 25, 1920. to Roberto V. Pesquira, then representative of the rew Mexican government in Washing ten. In that communication, 1t said, Mir. Colby expressed particular sat- lisfaction at the statements made in M Pesquieras letter, then under reply, t" the effect that President de Ia Huerta and President elect Obregon had declared that Article 27 of the Ms xican constitution is not and must not be interpreted as retroactive or yiclative of valid property rights, ''
 AMERICAN CONTROL
 Lord Curzon made reference to Sec Ietary Colby's "allusions" as to the worlds oil supply and the statement that the United States possessed only one-twelfth approximately of world oil resources The question, he said. was of Subsidiary importance" in the discussion, but added that, while the Potentialities of the future. are nec- essarily problematical. the undisputable fact remains that at present United States soil produces 70 per cent, and American interests in adjoining terri tcry controls further 12 per cent of the oil production of the world"
 Tt is not easy. therefore" Lord Cur zon said. Ito justify the United States governments insistence that America T control should now be extended to re- sources which may be developed i3 mandated territories, and that. too at the expense of the subjects of another state. who have obtained valid con- cession from the former government of those territories.'