Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-01
CANTA FE, N. M, Aug. 27.-The re-
public Of Mexico is being quietly,
~ peacefully, rapidly colonized by Ger

peacefully, rapidly colon1Zed by Ger
mans.
This is the word brought back by Z; travel
| er who has just returned, and who has ex-
| ceptional facilities for learning the facts.
Though native citizen of the United States,
| he is of Spanish blood, speaks and writes
| Spanish as well as English, and has many
| friends and relations in Mexico He travelled
| all over the republic seeking options on land
| for American capitalists. He talked to Mex
leans of all classes in their own language and
| as one of their own race. He got facts
which are not accessible to reporters and pol
! iticians in Mexico City.
What this man saw in Mexico was a young
| country going through a phase of swift de-
| velopment through colonization and invest
| ment While American politicians and capt.
| talists are trying to formulate a policy to-
| ward Mexico, and trying to educate the
American peoll- to accept that policy, Mex
| leo herself is becoming different country.
They have thought of her as bankrupt and
starving. AS a matter of fact she is produc-
| ing bumper crops and is solvent. They have
| thought of her as a nation of half-wild In
dams. AS matter of fact her rich lands are
drawing to her some of the best blood in
| Europe.
| A very large part of this blood is German.
Young Germans of good education and with
money in their pockets are pouring into Mex
| leo by the tens of thousands. Recently the
| Mexican government, this nan reports, sold
a great tract of land to $4,000 young Ger
| mans. Each of these men has 80 years in
which to pay for his farm Each of them will
found family. Many of them-and this is
| a very important point-will marry native
| girls of Spanish blood
This German colony will form a great
| block Of thrifty farmers, not isolated, but
| bound to the rest of the population by ties
| of marriage. In the opinion of the observer
| we quoting, these men will become as
much a part of Mexico as any men in it.
| They will support the Mexican government, to
| which they are indebted for their land, and
| the Mexican people, with whom many OF
them will have intermarried.
In addition to these Germans who have
| bought block of land, there numerous
small groups and individuals from Germany
coming into the country in search of farms.
These young Germans usually first obtain
employment on some of the large estates for
a year. They learn the language and the
country. Then they buy farms.
Americans Poor Colonizers
Some Americans are going into the coun-
| try and buying farms too, it is reported but
| they few compared to the Germans ana
other Europeans. Furthermore, the Ameri-
| cans form small groups and keep to them
selves. They seldom intermarry with the
Mexicans, and often they do not even learn
the language. This man was surprised to
find many Americans who had been in Mex
leo for years and could not speak Spanish.
In word, while the United States holds a
political club over Mexico's head, by reason
of the Monroe Doctrine and the great Amer
lean investments in Mexico, Europe is really
| taking possession Of the country, and it is
Europeanized Mexico that we will have to
deal with within few years more.
The opportunities for obtaining rich land
in Mexico, provided you are willing to take
your chances with unstable political condi-
tions, are probably not riValled anywhere in
the world. In the first place, the Mexican
government welcomes the buna fde settler
and provides him with land on extremely at
tractive terms. In the second place, the own
ers of the great land grants, who arr being
dispossessed of their lands by the Mexican
government under the new Mexican constitu-
tion,. are ready to sell for a song. The man
whom we are quoting obtained options
two million of land at dollar acre.
He asked the officials of the present Mexican
administration whether, if these lands were
bought by Americans, the titles would be
considered good. The reply was that the gov
eminent would hold the titles good. The
land in question was wild land covered with
forest, but rich in soil and wel-watered. sThe
timber on it alone was worth many times the
purchase price. There a scattering If
mahogany of 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 op-
tions which he obtained And the reason
they did not buy was that few days after
he returned from Mexico there was great
radical demonstration in Mexico City. More
than 5000 men marched in a parade bearing
the red flag of Bolshevism. Should a bolshe-
visit revolution overthrow the present govern
ment, it is doubtful whether any titles to
large areas of land held by nonresident in
probably be divided among the landless poor.