The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1922-06-24
John B.SIater Tells
About California
Tells of Interesting Sights
and Customs of Old
Mexico

Tia Juana, Mexico, June 81, 1922.
Dear Examiner: At a point on the
shore of the Pacific ocean 1 miles
south of San Diego, California, and
three miles west from Tia Juana,
Mexico, begins the U. S.-Mexican
international line which stretches
away in an easterly course across
the vast intervening mountain and
desert country to the Gulf of Mexico.
On the map this line is imaginary;
physically, it is marked by small
monuments set at convenient inter-
walls a mile or so apart and in most
part a hog-tight wire fence delin-
Gates the separation of the two
countries. The fence was necessi-
tated to avoid controversies over
livestock on either side invading the
alien country where laws in such
cases are inadequate conveniently to
preserve rights of ownership. This
barrier, however, is not observed re-
ligiously by the airplane, or the
gravitating night-errant in illicit
commerce requiring aggrevating po-
lice activities by the two countries
which are in quite constant agree
ment in their work.
Brushing aside social and CONNER
cial details for the purpose of this
narrative, we will observe that up
to the cession by Mexico to the Uni
ted States of the state of California,
the territory by that name extend
ed along the Pacific strand from
Oregon to the mouth of the Gulf of
California. That portion north of
the present international boundary
was known as Alta (Upper) Califor-
MIA and the southern region as Baja
Uower) California, and to the
Mexican it is so today.
Baja California is as rich and
varied in natural resources as its
northern neighbor. Land ownership
is largely intact in the original
Spanish grants sizable with that of
many of our counties and is operated
by syndicated foreign capital where
any considerable development is in
progress, but the insecurity of lease
hold renders unprotected capital tim
orous in launching headlong into ag-
ricultural, mining or reclamation for
other purposes where land titles are
basic; the government reserving the
right to cancel or abrogate, at will,
any land concession to aliens. The
new Mexican constitution of 1917 es-
pecially provides that all foreigners,
whether resident or nonresident,
may acquire title to mines and work
them when not in the prohibited
zone, and includes all lands and
waters within 100 kilometers (62A
miles) of any national boundary, or
within 80 kilometers (31R miles)
of any coast line. While the con-
stitution is more liberal to land
ownership over all the country, the
arbitrary construction of all funda-
executive head of the government
who is obliged by existing conditions
to deal harshly in cases where it ap-
pears aliens are hypocritical. One
notable case was the cancellation by
the government of an agricultural
franchise granted to Chicago pack
ing house CONCERN after it, had ex-
pended nearly a million dollars in
developing it's holdings with an ir-
rigation system in that part of the
Imperial valley in Baja California.
So, it may be inferred that aliens
may not trife with rights acquired
under Mexican law.
With the appearance of lasting
peace on the Mexican horizon, we
see that American and other for
eign capitalists who have acquired,
or wish to acquire, important hold
ings in that country are now flock
ing to the Mexicn capital to make
pledges of good faith, and if pos
sible, preserve the integrity of their
investments. They make the mistake
of approaching the subject with the
idea that our American laws and
customs will in spirit rule in such
negotiations, when they should accede
to the essentials of Mexican juris-
prudence which is the upgrowth
from the Spanish laws-quite antag-
onistice to our parent common law
of England.
1t is my belief that so long as
our people maintain an attitude OF
indifference to the supremacy OF
Mexican law in dealing with obliga-
tions to American investments in
Mexico, recognition, so-called, will be
that much deferred; for if Mexico
would maintain its parity of honor
with other nations, it must insist on
respect for its laws. America, above
all others, should be the first to