Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-28
OUTLAWS SEIZE
. 40 j. S. CITIZENS IN
TAMP|CO DISTRICT
Mexican Bandit Chief De.
mands $4,000 Pesos
Ransom Be Paid.
TIME LIMIT EXPIRES.
CAUSING APPREHENSION
Employees and Property Of
Cortcz Oil Company at The
Mercy of Vagabonds.
no word YET FROM n,ELAskr
Washington Prcservrs CnIn. Making
No Move to usc Force to
Protect NatIonnIs
~ Associated rro..l

'i-S ecu ECSS.l
"ASHINGTON. June 21.-Scizure ~
iorty American employees OF the Cortez
Oil Company at Tampico. Mexico re.
ported TO tho State Department today
Az security for ransom Of $4,000
pesos, created stir In official circle.
In Washington! Lacking further in
formation as to what has happened
behind what is apparently . rigid cen
sorship at Tamp!co. however. there
"as little TO indicate tonight whether
the incident would lead 20 any change
OF attitude here toward the Obregou
government in Mexico.
In fact, "a; the White House IL wa.
said that relations between tn,
United states and Mexico were no,
likely TO be affected in any way by
the bandit outbreak and the rccen,
Hidnaping for ransom near Cucr.
navaca. some sixty miles from Mexic,
CITY. OF Bruce Eielaski formerly chic,
or the bureau OF Investigation of IN.
Department Of Justic. and more re.
Gently identified with American oil
Interests who have property i'm Mex.
leo.
wv wv
Until II is known that the incidents
are not matter OF domestic poIi-
ties In Mexico. conceived by enemies
of the ObrcHon government to en-
barTass its relations with tho United
States, or until that government has
been proved unequal 20 according
such protection OF Americans and
their property as the occasion dc
mands, there appears TO be no ..,srosl-
ton here TO move IN my other than
a diplomatic way.
beyond brief report stating that
In addition to the ;wu-score Ameri
can employees quarter OF a million
dollars worth OF destructible prop-
erty OF tie Cortez oil Company was
Deing held as security for the pay
mont demanded. no other word hns
reached the State Department tonighr
concerning the bandit action in Tar
plco Both the embassy in Mexico
city and the consul at Tamnico v.r.
promptly instructed to press for i'm
mediate action by the Mexican F.d-
erai authorities, adequate prot..,, ~
'or American lives and property. ana
punishment of the oerp"tratnrs Of the
outrage.
Time for Payment EIapse..
the consu! reported that the'rebel
general, Gorozave. with 240 we'll
armed men, held the property. and
the forty Americans. and had giye,,
iortS-eight hours from Sunday morn
ing. when the raid occurred. for nav
ment as demanded The time limit
elapsed this morning. /; was ex
pected that further word would come
AT any moment showing what finally
had occurred.
Gorozave is new figure in the
Mexican situation. Neither at ths
Sth'e Department nor the Mexican
embassy was his name recalled
Whether he Is new bandit starting
out on career OF outiawry, or one
Of the group in the Tampico region
formerly headed by General Paleas.
who controlled the oil territory for
years. levying tribute on oil opera-
tors, was not known Paleas aban-
doned the field some time ago, how
ever. and is now understood to be in
the United States.
There were indications that State
Department officials were not ex-
actly sure just what sort OF a situa =
tion they had to meet. Some elements
in the meaEer official account in
'iiil'' W is'Nt CAUTIOUSLY ne
yond prompt insistcncc that the MeXi-
can Federal authorities protect all
American interests adequately.
No Call 10 Army or Fleet.
AT least. so far as known. the state
Departm ment had not tonight reported
the Ccrtcz Company incident 20
either army or navy officials or in
0uired as to availability of navy ships
to send TO the scene. There is no
Ameriian warship now in waters
adjacent to Tampico. the Galveston
being at Guatanamo, Cuba. and Rear
Admiral Coles. with three ships OF mis-
spccia lservicc squadron. in Canal
Zone waters. For this reason the
Navy Department had no report If
it's own of the sSzure OF the oil
camp and its American employees.
The new situation in the oil region
overshadowed for the moment the
seizure OF Bruce Biclaski. No word
had come from the embassy today to
show progress of the efforts OF the
Mexican Federal authorities to OH
tain tho release of the captive. The
delay caused little surprise here. how
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