Evening star., 1924-08-09
In TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

peninsula. 1t was turned over in
PRACTICAL possession to eight Mexican
6'.sians the MANS of Sonora In ths Ike manneT
the Iomasachics-in fact, practically
all the native peoples Of Mexico-
nave been reduced to peonage, if not
to slavery. This is why the
farm, why it has been so easy for
such Americans as each
to have obtained possession of mil
lions of Mexican acres
'As to the method, Turner says
Chief among the methods used in
getting the land away from the peo-
pie in general was a land registration
law which Diez fathered This law
permitted any person to go out and
SCISSOR could not prove a recorded
title. Since. up to the time the law
was enacted, it was not the custom
to record titles, this meant all the
sessed home which his father had
possessed before him; which his
grandfather had possessed; which his
great grandfather had possessed, and
which had been in the family as far
back as history knew, he considered
that he owned that home, all his
neighbors considered that he owned
it, and all governments up to that
of Diaz recognized his right to that
home"
=
In such a way, whole areas were
taken over by political allies of Diaz,
and their former owners were made
poems Of the new possessors. A peon
is really a slave to debt Prof. E A.
Ross of the Wisconsin University,
said in 1923 that the peon is paid %
cents day for his labor, and given
a certain portion of corn and beans
as his ration He is permitted and
encouraged to draw ahead of his
earnings, because so long as he is in
debted to the hacendado (proprietor)
he is held by law to remain and labor
for his creditor. He is never per-
mitted to balance his budget and get
out of his debt.
Peonage had existed for centuries
prior to Diaz's regime, but in his term
came tie gigantic confiscation of land
and enslavement of the millions. 1t
finally led to Diaz's downfall, the Ma
dero rebellion. and the uprising of the
native Mexicans. who had been SO
wronged by the o1igarchy in power.
The restoring Of the lands to the
people was crystallized in the new
constitution adopted in 1917, which
provides for the legal breaking up of
large landholdings. Some of the
holdings exceed 5,00o,o 900 acres each.
Not more than 1000 acres of each es-
tate may be seized and payment
therefor be- made in 20-year federal
bonds bearing per cent; all land in
excess Of 1000 acres taken from en-
estate must be paid for in cash.
Upon taking over the land, the gov
eminent proposes to assign it to the
villages, as ejidos of old. and the viii
lagos may then sell or lease it to in
dividual small farmers, in tracts of
~ or more acres each, the proceeds to
Prof. E. A Ross. economist of the
University of Wisconsin, suggests
that giving over such farms to per-
sons who have never possessed initi-
ative. and who now hold no tools nor
credit. is doubtful experiment,
though in that experiment lie the
dreams Of the millions of freed poems.
Not all the great estates will lose
their land, nor will all the land be
taken belonging to any one estate. 1t
becomes the duty of foreign countries
to protect the property OF their cit
liens. In treaty made by Secretary
Hughes last January, as a Condition
precedent" to recognition of the
Obregon government, it is agreed that
the Mexican government shall pro-
tect its land bonds by applying all the
proceeds of the sale of the ejidos to
retirement of the bonds, and shall ne
gotiate a loan to provide funds to pay
cash for all land in excess Of 1000
acres taken from any one estate.
Other stipulations for the protection
of Americans are agreed to in the
treaty. 1t is probable that the Amer
lean Government will insist on apply
ing these same protective provisions
to the case of Mrs. Evans estate, and
to the protection of other aliens, as
well as of Americans.
Presiden Elect Gales, who recently
won his election on the agrarian is
sue, and who will take office Decem-
ber l, has given assurance that the
land distribution will go on, to re-
store justice to the people robbed by
the Diaz oligarchy. He also assures
Mexico's creditors that all foreign OBJ
legations will be sacredly kept, and
that the age of revolution 10 past
.ECopyrSht. 1924. ny Paul Y oenlaeA