The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-16

possessions, but the sons of
 S Britain sit eternally on the Hid. And they sit most particularly tight whenever and wherever there exists a possibility of the discovery or exploitation of oil.
 During the last decade, while state of confusion has been the nor mai state in Mexico, the world has been content to let the United States handle affairs in the rambunctious Irepublic pretty much as 1t saw Tt. But whenever one of the numerous insurrecto chieftains led his follow CTS into an oil field or levied new petroleum tax. our state department knew in advance it would receive a nrctest from Great Britain. Not one crisis affecting oil was ever per lmitted to pass without Great Britains reserving for future nego- Ition all her real or pretended rights.
 In response to a Senate resolution, I Secretary Hughes reported upon troubles encountered by American oil ccnEerns in Costa Rica. The two American companies engaged there have been beset by numerous decrees, lmanifestos and announcements, and lit is truly remarkable how each ob- stacle placed in their way has served also as stepping stone for some British concern.
 When the League of Nations sought
 to distribute among the victorious mowers the task of preserving the peace in small and conquered coun-
 tries. and mandates went begging, Great Britain agreed magnanimously
 to accent responsibility for the or derly administration of Mesopotalnia. It later become known that the An-
 glo- Persian Oil company held exten-
 sive petroleum concessions In Meso- potamia which had been granted be-
 fore the war, and that it's controlling
 stock was English owned. It costs Iconsiderable money to administer the
 Mesopotamia mandate, but Great Britain is still making the sacrifice.
 Dividends of the Anglo Persian com
 pany have been advanced from per
 cent in 1917 to 20 per centsast March. , Americans seeking admission to the I Djambi oil fieNs were told they came : too late. But no such statement was 9 made to British investors. The far 7 lsirhted and forehanded British gov l ernment had previously seen to It IA ground floor.
 When the Colombian treaty was x being discussed, Secretary Fall an- [ lnounced that American oil develop nents stood in imminent danger of
 falling into the hands of British con-
 cerns. In South America, as else- where, the support and encourage ment of the empire was found souarely behind every British inves- tor.
 No criticism attached to Great h Britain for thus protecting the in- i, terests of her nationals. Only the e highest commendation is in order. }. This commendation is freely accord
 
 one of the unexplainable quirks of
 American psychology that those who
 commend all other governments tor
 shaping their foreign policy to sup
 port the commercial ventures of their s citizens abroad will condemn the e American government for doing the l. same thing. The cardinal plank of : tlieir political and economic platform l- seems to be that the state depart e ment must never do anything calcu- e latee to put a dollar in any business 1T col cern's treasury. and If, perchance n the concern to be benefited deals in u oil, the greater and more unforgiya- ' ble the crime. Whenever the Colom- . the state department moves fol
 equal opportunity for Americans, fl so much as derrick can be imagins ed '. in the dreamy distance somebody al ways sounds the accusatory warn ins, "nigger in the woodpile."
 The patriotic common sense course
 for America and Americans would bt
 to <erget for a while the mythica
 presence of the dark person in th'
 fuel reserve and think earnestl, Id about a very matter of fact realit. ,y the bulldog at the we'll In ever, Id country in the world where petrole rs um resources exist. in developed 0 1t undeveloped state there you vii ir find the British bulldog. either witt
 his jaws clamped around well (