The Washington times., 1922-07-30
MEXICAN-HOPE
OFREG0eNFT1ON
STRENGTHENING
Bandit Stories.and Propaganda
Ae:EaiIiag ot.Theit In
49,: tendad Effect
BIELASKI COUP: A FAILURE
sS. Sori = : ,eH'~oN-
SupfennS Court of Mexico Has
Cleared Atmosphere, U. S.
Officials Believe.
BY HARRY L, ROGERS,
international News Service.

Boomerang" is the, name origin
ally given to a weapon OF warfare
believed to be Indigenous to the
wilds of Australia, but in more
modern times a term used to char
acterize any sort of, attempt which
recoils upon the attempter.
The Bielaski Case.
The . recently reported bandit
outrages, In Mexico against Ameri.
cans come within the category of
"boomerangs," in the opinion of
officials here, inasmuch as they
appear to, have reflected discredit
upon the enemies Of Obregon rather
than upon Obregon himself: Far
from having the effect intended.
there apparently is reason to be-
lieve a considerable element in the
United States looks upon these
incidents as proof that the United
States Government should recog-
nize General Obregon without
further delay.
Mexican - officials here were
skeptical from the moment the
first reports of the KIDNAPPING of
A. Bruce Bielaski, former Chief of
the Bureau of Investigation, De-
partment OF Justice, were received.
Even one American official, with
a penchant for joking, was quick to
point out that Bielaski's alleged
ransom was less than the cost Of a
page. advertisement in modern
American magazine, while. as re-
suit of the Incident Bielaski and
his company had received large
type mention on the first page OF
every newspaper IN the United
StateSSisas' nv '.''..' '.-r = q.
Coup" Poorly Planned.
Mexican, officials. too. were
quick to point out the alleged ban
dts contrary to all traditions of
banditry, had allowed the women
to depart, holding only Bielaski,
and that member Of the party of
Bielaski and his wife was Mile.
Milo, danseuse. Of Mexico City.
On the heels of the announce
ment Of ,Bielaski's alleged kidnap.
ing came reports from Tampico of
the hold-up of the Cortez Oil Com
pany by bandits, with a demand
for $4,000 pesos ransom. Forty
Americans were alleged to have
been held by the Mexican bandits
for ;ransom. Then folt0Yed other
reports .of .h6IdIps. Of the Corona
Oil Company, ,.tfe Mexico, and Gulf
Company and the Penn-Mex Com
pany. There was. however. a
curious lack Of detail, even in the
reports of the American Consul at
Tampico, which gave some Gre
dence to the assertions of Mexi-
can officials that no .hold-up had
occurred at all. Indeed, there were
numerous. semi-offiCial stories to
the effect that the American Con-
sui had been imposed upon.
AS a sort Of counterblow to these
stories came an official announce
ment from the Mexican Foreign or
flee, purporting to interpret the re-
cent decision of the Mexican Supreme
Court on the subject Of the non
retroactiVity of Article 27 Of the
constitution OF 1917. 1nasmuCh as
this provision has been the principal
obstacle to recognition of the Obre
gon government by the United States,
the announcement was greeted with
utmost approval by friends of the
Obregon regime.
Decision Considered Important.
State Department officials freely
admit the importance of decisions
of the Mexican supreme court on
the question of the confiscatory pro-
visions of the constitution, but pend
ing the opportunity to study the Off
cial text of the decision are not pre-
nared to say whether the decision
clears, the path to recognition.
Article 27 provides that the prop
critics of the subsoil, including such
mineral products, as gold, iron and
petroleum, are the product Of the
state, regardless of the persons hold
ing the surface rights Carranza in
terpreted this provision as applying
to subsoil properties acquired prior
to May /, 1917, the date of the adop-
ton Of the constitution.
Thus Article 27 became the great
stumbling-blo in the way of re-
sumption of diplomatic relations be-
tween the United States and Mexico.
In vaflous Exchanges OF correspond
ence between Washington and Mexi-
co City Secretary Of State Hughes
made It plain that the United States
must have adequate guarantees from
the Obregon government that Amcri-
can property rights, legitimately nc
uuired, must be respected before his
government could be recognized.
The amIcable settlement Of finan-
cial questions under discussion be-
tween Finance Minister de la Huerta
and representatives of the interna-
tional, bankers with interests In
Mexico was .heralded as forerunner
of a solution. of the diplomatic prob
lens , outstanding between the
United States and Mexico.
Settlement Is Welcomed
It was soon made plain, however,
that while the New York settle
ment was welcomed by the State De-
partment' as a step in the right dlrec-
tion IL was not regarded as touching
the fundamental questions at issue
between the department and the
Mexican Foreign Office as regards
rnrognttion------ s- - %, - -
Hore apropos of this situation was
the official announcement from the
Mexicar1 Foreign Office concerning
the real meaning Of the recent de-
cision OF the Mexican supreme court
with regard to the retroactivity OF
Article 27. Previously the State De-
partment had several times tacltly
acknowledged the supreme court of
Mexico might be regarded as within
.