Evening star., 1922-06-28
MEXICAN SITUATION
KEEPSU.S. IN NDOUBT
Officials Puzzled Over Dearth
of News Regarding RAN
som of Americans.

Government officials. more than
twenty four hours after having been
informed by the American consul at
Tampico that Mexican rebel leader
had seized forty American employees
and property of the Cortez Oil Com
pany in that vicinity for ransom,
were today still awaiting fuller in
formal tion.
The time limit for the payment of
the ransom of $4,000 pesos, as fixed
by Gorozave, the rebel chieftain, ex-
pired yesterday, and State Depart
ment officials frankly were puzzled
at the delay in definite reports as to
what happened at the oil companv's
camp. 1t was generally assumed that
the federal authorities in Tampico
took prompt measures to deal with
of necessity lead to serious inter-
national complications. and 1t was
felt here that the Obregon govern
ment would avoid any such possibil-
ity. At the same time, it is recog-
nized by officials here that the incl
dent might have been planned in an
effort to discredit the Obregon gov
ernment and be more serious in ap-
pearance than in fact
Doubt Men VIII BE Hurt.
If it. should be. AS suspected by
some officials here, a deliberate eff
fort by political enemies of President
Obregon to involve his government in
complications with the United States
1T was felt that the plan hardly would
go SO far as to permit any serious
injury to the captive Americans or to
the oil property, which is a valuable
asset to Mexican authorities.
The State Department also was
without official advices indicating that
Bruce Bielaski, the American cap
tured by bandits and held for ransom
near Cuernavaca, had been released
or that arrangements for his release
had been completed. 1t was assumed
that the embassy at Mexico City
would not report until definite infor-
nation on this question was at hand
there.
1t was indicated authoritatively to-
day in regard to the Cortez Oil Com
pany incident that the Washington
authorities would take no step be-
yond the representations already
transmitted by Charge d'Affaires Sum-
NHclliH the -NeAlCan capital ana
Consul Shaw at Tampico urging
prompt action by the Mexican govern
ment and punishment of the guiHy
persons. No move has been made as
yet to dispatch naval vessels to Mex
lean waters. and further action here
will await advices from American Of
ficials in Mexico as to the develop
ments at Tampico.
Mexicans Mistrented Here.
Discussion of the bandit activities
against Americans brought out at the
State Department today the informa-
ton that the Mexican charge here
recently made representations in one
case where Mexican citizens were al
legged to have been mistreated by
strikers in American coal fields. The
representation presented early in
June said that five Mexicans had been
interfered with by strikers in the
Utah coal fields.
The case was referred to the Cover
nor Of Utah. who transmitted an affi-
davit from Ferdando Durano, a Mex
ican, who was taken from a stage by
strikers and detained over night with
his wife and family and sent back to
the town from which he had come.
!He dliiudHl sdiu thal lneie was no
other Mexican in this party and that
the strikers fed and cared for the Mex
lean and his family, paid their trans
portation back the way they had come
and in addition gave the man 81. This
information from the government was
duly reported to the Mexican embassy
here, and while Utah officials are still
investigating to discover If any other
Mexicans were involved in the coal
field troubles, 1t is believed that the
Mexican consul in Salt Lake City, who
reported that five of his countrymen
were mistreated, did SO through a mis-
take.
The Mexican charge here also has re-
ceived information that one Mexican
was killed and another badly beaten in
the Herrin, Ill, mine troubles, but at
the State Department today there was
said to be no confirmation of such
reports.