Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-06-28
QUICK RELEASE
FOR AWE ER|CANS
IS j. 8. DEMAND
ON OLD MEXICO
Washington Officials Do Not
Believe the Situation Calls
for Other Than Diplomatic
Action,
MAY BE A PLOT To
EMBARRASS 0BREG0N
Time Limit for Payment Of
Ransom of COrtez Oil
Company Men Expires;
Fate to Be Known Soon,
(By The Associated Press,)

Washington. June 2I.-Seizure Of
forty American employees Of the
Cortez Oil company at Tampico,
Mexico, reported to the state de-
partment today as security for A
ransom Of $4,000 pesos, created a
stir in official circles in Washing
| ton.
Lacking further information as
to what has happened behind what
| is apparently rigid censorship at
Tampico, however, there was little
to indicate tonight whether the in
cident would lead to any change OF
attitude here toward the Obregon
government in Mexico.
In fact, at the White House 1t
was said that relations between the
! United States and Mexico were not
likely to be affected in any way by
| the bandit outbreak and the recent
kidnapping for ransom near Cuerna-
vaca of Bruce Bielaski, formerly
chief of the bureau of investiga-
| ton of the department of justice.
| Until it is known that the lnci-
dents are not u matter of domestic
! politics in Mexico, conceived by
enemies of the Obregon government
| to embarrass its relations with the
! United States, or until that govern
ment had been proved unequal 10
accord such protection to Amerl-
cans and their property as the oc-
casloL, demands, there appears TO
be no disposition here to move IN
any other than diplomatic way.
! Mining Property Held.
| Beyond a brief report stating
THAT in addition to the two score
American employees, n quarter OF
million dollars worth of destrucu-
BILE property Of the Cortez Oil COM
pany was being held as security for
1.-The payment demanded, no other.
word had reached the state de-
partment tonight concerning the
bandit action in Tampico.
Both the embassy in Mexico City
land the consul at Tampico were
promptly instructed to press Tor
Immediate action by the MeXleaa
federal authorities for adequate
protection for American lives ana
property and punishment Of the
perpetrators of the outrage.
The consul reported that the
lrebel general, Gorozave, with 24o
well armed men, held the property,
land the forty Americans had peeu
given ty-eight hours from sun
day morning, when the raid oc-
lcurred, for payment as demanded.
1.-THE time limit elapsed this morn
ling. 1t was expected that further
word would come at any moment.
showing what finally had occurred.
| There were indications that state
department officials were not eA-
!actlv sure Just what sort of a SIT
Iuation they had to meet
No Warships Near,
| At least SO far as known, the
state department had not tonlghE
reported the Cortez company mel
! dent TO either army or navy or
cials or inquired as to the aValia
bility of navy ships to send 10 tiIs
scene. There is no American war
shin now in waters adjacent 70
Tampico, the Galveston being a"
Guantanamo, Cuba, and Fear Az
miral Coles, with three SHIPS OF
his special service squadron, In
Canal Zone waters. For this rea-
son the navy department had no re-
mort of it's own of the seizure OF
the oil camp and its American EN-
| ployes. A.. ~, 90
sion overshadowed for the moment
the seizure of Bruce Bielaskl. ~
word had come from the enpasss
today to show progress OF tne 81
forts of the Mexican federal authvi
tiles to obtain the release OIL the
captive.