The Mena weekly star., 1921-09-08
Booze Brings Millions to
 Mexico
Supplying Tequila to United states Is Becoming a Great Industry Fro ducing Great Part of National ln- come-Prohibitio Agitation.
By LOUIS P. KlRBl international News Service stan ftsftF

Correspondent
 Mexico City, Sept. While other sources of revenue of the Mexican treasury have been dwindling because, of the closing of mines, the bad crops, suspension of operations m the oil fields, John Barleycorn continues to be a pillar of the financial struc- ture of the nation.
 Mexic0s income from taxes on al- coholic beverages is steadily inereas- ing. During the past year the re- cepits were l5,000,000 pesos, but they will be much greater this year as there is now what might be called an export" demand for beverages manufactured in Mexico.
 The liquors are chiefly exported across the border, but without the knowledge of MT. Harding or General Obregon. Bootleggers and smugglers handle tequila chiefly, because this fiery liquor is acceptable to American taste, in the absence of anything else, while mescal and pulque to not appeal to the thirsty across the border, ex- cept among the members of the Mexi- can colonies.
 U. S. Market Is Supplied
 As some of the border cities have large Mexican elements there is, of course, some smuggling of mescal and pulque, but the real profit for the bor- der runners is in tequila.
 The prices obtained by bootleggers and other traffickers in nootch vary according to the geographical conditions. Tequila is lower at Fl Paso than in San Antonio, because the smuggler has only to wade across the river at Fl Paso to reach his market, while he must face the perils of trip of a hundred miles or so to get to San Antonio.
 At El Paso quart of tequila can be obtained easily for S3, while the price Is $6 and $7 a quart in San Antonio. In Mexico tequila made by distillers of reputation ranges in price from fifty to seventy-fve cents a quart. But there are even cheaper kinds.
 Some of the Mexican smugglers are as delft as magicians of vaudeville. A story is told of an American in bor- der city whose stock of beverages be- came exhausted. He drove in his mo- tor car to the shop of captain of the bootlegging industry.
 T want bottle of tequila, he said.
 You already have it, replied the bootlegger.
 You are wrong," protested the other. T wouldn't be here if l had a quart of anything
 Look under the cushion, returned the bootlegger.
 The smuggler had divined the vis- itor's wants and had thrust the bottle under the cushion so swiftly that not one of the two or three men in he car saw him do it.
 Distilleries Are Enlarged.
 When he received payment he caused the money to disappear into his pocket with swift motion which would have done credit to any ma- gician of the stage.
 When the United States lost it's revenue of about $800,000,000 a year from distillers and brewers, thru the establishing of prohibition, there were weavers of figures who predicted ! that Mexico's income from beverages would increase enormously, with the l possibility that he increase would be 1, great enough to pay all of Mexico's debts, with surplus for the fnanc- , ing of the country. This has not hap i pened. It is far cry from fifteen million pesos, or about S7,500,0 ,0O0, to i $500, 100000. But these have been i substantial gains. Old breweries and distilleries have been enlarged, and new plants have been built, giving the government greater returns from these sources than in the past. I While John Barleycorn's contribu- ton to the Mexican treasury is im- portant in this time of depression, it probably never will reach the propor- tions predicted by anti-prohibition propagandists.
 Prohibition Is Feared. r Most of the alcoholic drinks of Mex leo are made from plants which grow everywhere, almost like weeds Home brew" Tn this country is as old as the Azecs. All of the rustics know how to make theoir own drinks, without 1 troubling themselves about Internal Revenue stamps; and John Barley ltcorn's contribution to the treasury will increase only as far as the urban lpopulatlon of Mexico grows. There IS continued and strong agi- tation for prohibition, with a possi- bility that John Barleycorn's money may be rejected in Mexico as in the United States.
 Some states like Chihuahua. have taken definite steps toward prohibi- ltion, altho in some cases the move ments lack sincerity of purpose.
 Sometimes the agitation is to serve n political purpose; sometimes to at tract prohibition or anti-prohibition agents who have money to spend.
 U. $. Money Is Misspent.
 Reformers in the United States are distributing much cash in Mexico, and this money very often passes into the hands of men of a singular sort.
 Some fine corner lots and mort gages, at l2 per cent a year, have been acquired thru the generosity of earnest old maids in the United States. In the files of every church organization and reform society in- terested in helping the Mexicans, it IS said, are letters from workers here and there who are wiling to spend their money for them and spend it wisely.
 KILLING FEM OFF AT POTEAU.