Evening star., 1924-03-16
Men and Affairs
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

WaShington'S SenSlbllltteS nave De-
come so dulled by the never ceasing
Investigations that the amazing story
told by Edward L. Doheny of his con-
nection with affairs of state in Mexico
has scarcely caused a ripple on the
surface here. Time was when a
revelation of this sort would have
brought about a storm in diplomatic
and State Department circles. But on
this occasion, nothing at all.
Mr.. Doheny places himself in the
position of a man who was able to
dictate the fate of the Mexican re-
public one way or the other. This
one citizen of the United States, whose
hobby has been the employment of ex-
cabinet officers. according to his own
statement, debated with himself as to
whether Obregon should be permitted
to remain as president or if the rebel
de la Huerta was to be given the reins
of government.
Mr.. Doheny Of the oil millions final
ly plunked for Obregon and Obregon
remains supre me, with only a few
scattering rebel bands in the field
against him. Mr.. Doheny paid off the
Obregon army with his good American
money and the Obregon army de-
feated the Huertistas. The inference
Is plain that IL Mr.. Doheny hadn't
chosen personally to pay off the OBJ
regon soldiers, or il he had chosen
to give few million dollars to Ar.
de la Huerta, the whole faoe Of
things in Mexico would haye been diff
ferent.
Naturally. Mr.. Doheny expects the re-
constituted Obregon government to 'be
good" to his oil interests in the future
and he figures that he viii probably
get this small item Of $4,000, 900 back
several fold in the increased output of
Mexican crude oil and petroleum.
The incident, however, serves to
shed additional light upon the Cali
fornia oil multimillionaire and to ex-
plain some of the arrogance with
which he approaches public questions
and public persons in this country.
The incident also causes some spec
ulation as to the purchases of war
materials recently made In this coun-
try by the Obregon government Not
all of Mr., Doheny's $5,000.00o contri.
button to \Obregon success was used
inferred that some Of it has found its
way back to the United States gov
ernment for the sale Of cast-off or
secondhand weapons and ammuni-
bellious de Ia Huerta- 1t Is an i'll
wind, indeed. that blows no good.
X 4 X 4
It is an intriguing thing to think
of one distinguished American citizen
making an after-dinner decision IS to
the fate of an entire people. Doheny
says that emissaries of de Ia Huerta
came to him to interest him in the
revolution. He had an Investigation
made of the situation. This didn't
keep him up nights at all. but he just
back to him that Obregon looked like
the better bet. Thereupon the Obre-
gonistas had 1t. Mr.. Doheny didn't
worry about the matter after that
He had decided that Obregon was to
remain in power and there was moth
ing for Obregon to do but remain in
Edward Doheny, hard-fisted. fight
ing man. ruthless in his use OF human
materials to gain any desired end.
OF life in combat. He has many mil
lions--more than most men ever
dreamed of. Furthermore. most men
Of his millions would retire. But Do
heny is just as restless. Just as un-
tiring in his ceaseless energy today
as he was at the time he was making
his first stake.
The oil man has never been rated
as In the class of Henry Ford or John
D. Rockefeller, or even Secretary
Mellon, but it appears that he gets
more action" for his money than any
~ +ha Anarican rnrltf-mjllionaires
Perhaps, some day, II he Is properly
approached, he may settle the Ger
man reparations question. Who
knOwS2