Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-05-24
ASKING THE IMPOSSIBLE
prejudice.

If Mexico must accede to the demands nov
| being made ready for transmission by the state
| department to the Obregon government, in order
to obtain recognition from the United States Mex
leo probably will have to get along without Amer
lean recognition.
For the Obregon administration cannot accede
to the proposed American demands without losing
| its prestige at home as well as across the At
| lantic.
According to an Associated Press dispatch
| sent out Sunday night in the memorandum, which
Is said to have been prepared in collaboration with
Secretary Fall, Mexico is to be asked to change
! her organic law relating to the naturalization of
sub-soil rights in far they affect tenure of
land obtained before the adoption of the constitu-
| ton of 1917, and make exceptions in favor of
Americans regarding diplomatic appeal, barred
zones expulsion of "perncious foreigners" without
opportunity for fair trial. and other reserva-
tons
With the exception of the request that Mexico
change it's constitution as to the sub-soil-which
is of interest Of course, chiefly with regard to
petroleum-the requests drafted by Washington
are not unjust per Regarding the sub-soil, how
ever Mexico can contend with much force that
there no such things as vested rights" so far
as constitution is concerned. Vested rights"
are a question Of governmental policy. 1t point
out constitutional amendments abol-
ishing slavery and the liquor trade. Both these
amendments certainly interfered with number of
well-defined vested rights.
But as the exceptions which it is sought to
have the Obregon government make in favor of
American citizens in Mexico, Mexican officaldom
we'll say that for such privileges to be accorded
to Americans all other foreigners would open
the Mexican government to charges of favoritism,
and thus tend to weaken its hold over its
people and arouse the hostility of less favored
nations.
President ObregOn cannot retain the confidence
Of his people if he places himself in a position of
seeking to purchase American recognition by SER
vile concessions Mexicans have strong sense of
national pride, and while they we'll realize their
weakness in comparison with the United States,
they will any intimation that the conscious
ness Of this weakness should cause them to give
special privileges.
We predict that President Obregon will be
forced to decline the proposal at present contem-
plated unless it is substantially modified before
presentation In such event, the situation will
settle down to one of armed neutrality, in which
the United States will contend that it has the
right to impose any conditions it chooses before
according a foreign government official recogni-
ton. while Mexico, the other hand, will be able
to argue with as much force that no foreign
power has the right to dictate its laws to it.
Both, of course, will be theoretically right
Mexico will keep her laws and the United States
will keep her recognition. We have the right to
frown on Mexico but not the right to coerce her
And in the meanwhile, millions of dollars worth
of trade between the two countries will be
paralyzed.