The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-07-04
CONTINUED from page u


much what Gales says as what he
does. II he proceeds to indemnify
Americans for their properties
which has been seized under the
aerarIan law, the American govern
mont will not care how much he
Eliminates. -(Washinston dispatch
to the Chicago Tribune, juno 49,
The matter stands like this:
The Mexican government owes a
billion dollars to Americans. 1t can
not carry out its agrarian program if
it has to pay Americans for land to
which they have not the vestiage OF
title. To insist that 1t do so Is to
sabotage the distribution Of the land
Wall Street and the state depart
ment knows this very well. 1t does
not want the land divided among the
poems because its source OF cheap
labor supply is thereby cut OLA
landless people make the best slaves.
Tn addition to this compelling motive
i the land distribution interferes
with the grabbing by American CAPT
talists of territory rich in oil and min
erals.
uOW rich is Mexico in natural re-
II sources?
Their wealth is incalculable. From
1901 to 1928 Mexico produced 1,190,-
100000 barrels of oil. In 1920 she was
producing rs per cent of the worlds
total supply. In 1923 alone Mexico
produced 22,S25 kilos of gold, 2,552,-
$50 Of silver, 13S, $4,000 of lead and
47.521 900 of copper.
There are 100000 acres of for
est and $4,000, 900 of these are said by
experts to contain vast stretches Of
pine, spruce, cedar, rosewood, ma
hogany and logwood. Corn, cotton,
sisal hemp, what beans, tobacco, cof-
fee and sugar cane can be raised in
great quantities and with a minimum
of labor on the 100000 acres of
fertile land now under cultivation. On
the berches- are 12O.OOO,0OO acres OF
rich grazing lands. Here is an en-
pire in itself and knowing our rulers
as we do las we ought to, at least)
we need not wonder if they look to-
wards Mexico with greedy eyes and
watering mouths.
60 rich is this southern country that
~ the Mexican peasants can not be
driven into the mines and mills of
American capitalism while they have
land. The struggle for possession of
Mexico's riches becomes therefore a
war on the Mexican masses-over-
whelmingly agrarian in composition.
There is another thorn in the flesh
Of Wall Street and the Coolidge ad-
ministration-the labor clauses in the
Mexican constitution. Article 1923 has
the following provisions:
Eight-hour day-seven hours for
ali night work-six-hour day for
children from IL to 16-no night
work for women and chiIdren-one
day rest in seven-vaeation with
pay before and after childbirth
a living wage-Iiving wage cannot
profit-sharing-wages must be paid
in cash-double time for all over
tIme-housing provisions for work.
ers-insurance against accidents In
industry-compuIsory safety and
sanitary measures-right to organ
ize, strike and shut down plants
three months wages must be paid
to worker in case of arbitrary dis
charge-no contracting of labor
free employment service-eo-opera-
tive workIngmen's building assoeia-
tlons.
60 far no Mexican government has
~ been able or willing to enact the
necessary laws to make these consti-
tutional clauses legally effective but
the workers-about 100000 of them
organized-know their rights and in
sist upon them.
The program for American imperi
alism can be stated simply:
Prevent the dist rfbutlon Of fhe