Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-01
THE MEXICAN OUTLOOK

'Black, with hardly ray Of hope"
IL the phrase chosen by Howard T.
Oliver. president Of tho Oliver Amer
lean Trading Company. to picture the
outlook In Mexico. He depicts the
situation as "fraught with great dan
ger-as a calm before a Storm" and
he is very doubtful that Gales. tho
recently announced victor in the
presid entail elections, will ever take
his seat due to tho prospect Of tri-
angular fight involving Gales, Obre-
gon and Flores. He reports that It is
strongly limited Obegon will declare
there was no election.
Mr., Oliver calls attention TO the
fact that there is no Mexican am
bassador in Washington: that the
American ambassador had left Mex
leo: that Great Britain Is without an
ambassador there, and he says: Be
sides being In bad with Great Britain
and with the United States, Mexico
Ia in bad with the bankers. with the
oil interests and even the mining
people are having trouble. There Is.
no money in sight to meet the pay
ments OF claims filed with the Claims
Convention, and tho United States
does not seem likely to submit
claims to this convention" He sees
no chance OF further loan to Mexico
by American fnanciers. and he thinks
that tho only likelihood will be that
Of international action to straighten
out things"
II has been the feeling In this coun-
try that things In Mexico were on the
upgrade. We have rerestabllshed
diplomatic relations with Mexico, APP
pointments to the two Claims Com
missions. the General and the Spec
ial. have been announced in the pa
pers, and reports from Mexico indi-
Gated the election OF Gales 10 succeed
Obregon. There was no general inti-
nation that the election was other
wise than fair, and though Mr.. Gales
has Mt times been regarded in this
country as radical OF rather ex-
treme views, his election to the presi-
dency OF Mexico had been anticipated
by us for a long time, certainly as far
back as tho beginning OF the de la
Huerta revolution.
Yet there are signs here and
there which lend color to the oliver
ian viewpoint. Mexico has prach-
calIy suspended payments on her
debts, and diplomatic relations with
Great Britain have been acute. The
country seems to be in n state of fer
mert and reports to the outside world
give evidence OF being so carefully
worded as to suggest all Is not well
within.
We still stand ready to befriend
Mexico in every possible way without
the Interior motive OF selflshly ex-
plotting her resources. We should
like to enjoy the peace, order. and
fraternal feeling along our southern
border that we do along our northern
border. The tiue may soon comet
may be on the way now-when
Mexico must set her souss in order
or face anarchy worse than any that
has heretofore existed 10 that I'M
happy country. So involved have
become the politics and factionalism
Of Mexico that It would seem impos-
sible for any leader in the country to
muster sufficient strength 20 accom-
plish the tasks at hand. Mexico ID
pesriessly resourceful in all but men
Uncle Sans assistance given TO
Cuba, Panama, Haiti. San Domingo
Nicaragua, Ecuador. Peru. Colombia
and other Latin American countries
stands as q background Of proof "A
to the willingness and ability OF our
government 10 carry through projects
for the betterment Of other countries