Evening star., 1926-12-14
i. S. TO UPHOLD
RIGHTS IN MEXICO
Steps. Considered to Meet
Emergency Confronting
American Owners.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


AS January / approaches-th date
when the Gales government has said,
in effect, that American property
owners in Mexico must virtually aban-
don their proprietary rights--the re-
courses open TO the nited States
Government are receiving critical con-
Sideration. Neither at the White
House nor the State Department Is the
slightest indication given as to which
one will finally be resorted to. Hope
springs eternal in the administration
that no drastic measures of any kind
will be needed. But such views are
voiced in accents of frank pessimism
and In tones sayori1g of despair.
Definite encouragement is encoun-
tered in Washington official circles as
to the so-called ''inevitability of con-
fiict" with Mexico. There is no sug-
gestion of gunpowder in the proxinl-
ity of either President Coolidge or
Secretary Kellogg. Nor is there sign
of any intention to recede from the
strong position taken in our last note
to Mexico, dated October 80, which
stressed ''the extremely critical stu
alton affecting the relations between
the two countries"
U. s. Sure to Meet Emergency.
1t can be taken as a foregone con-
clusion that the United States will
not rest supinely on its diplomatic
oars if Mexico on January l puts into
effect the and and oil laws which
Uncle Sam holds to be confiscatory of
vested" American rights. The kel-
logg note may be considered as Amer
fca's last word" but it is not likely
long to remain the United States Gov
ernment's last act.
Two steps loom as likely possibil-
titles in case the Coolidge administra-
tion finds 1t nece SSary to take con-
crete steps. Diplomatic relations can
be severed The withdrawal Of Amer
ican recognition would have variety
OF effects upon the Gales government.
It would inevitably influence Mexico's
finan, "a. status in this country, and
could hardly help but ramify overseas
and affect Mexican credit in Europe.
British land and oil owners in Mexico
are, Of course, subject to the new
property Jaws to be enforced in 1877,
Just as much as American owners are.
An example set by the United States
in breaking off relations with Senor
Gales administration might easily
prove contagious. The British gov.
ernment, which has, next to ours, the
most at stake at Mexico City. is as ex-
asperated as the United States with
dilly.d tllying and communistic prac.
tices Sc nth of the Rio Grande. Ru,
mors were recently current that IL the
United States does not soon take ac-
tioh in Mexico the British might do
so OIL their own account.
Still another form Of chastisement
at America g disposal is the lifting of
the existing embargo on shipment of
arms to Mexico. This has been in
force since Secretary Hughes pro. |
claimed it two or three years ago dur.
inc the a CT Hnarfo raVa1nffnn ManU |
students o. our tortuous relations with |
Mexico believe that in cancellation of |
the embargo les the surest and quick |
est hope of causing Senior Gales to |
concede Americas demands. The pro. |
posal has engaged the attention of the |
Coolidge administration more than |
once since the ioi.g-pending crisis with |
Mexico became acute. The thing that |
holds the United States back from lift~i
ing the arms embargo is the fear that |
we might be charged with fomenting |
revolution in Mexico.
Uncle Sam shrinks from doing any |
thing calculated to incite rebellion in /
Latin America, especially since, under
Secretary Hughes, the five Central |
American states entered into solemn |
treaty not to recognize any govern
ment among them that came into |
being as a result of revolution or q |
coup d'etat. It Is because we spon- |
sored that pact that America stead |
fastiy refused to recognize the now
deposed government Of President Cha. |
MORO in Nicaragua.
Yet Americans who sincerely wish |
to avoid war with Mexico are among
those who advocate lifting the arms
embargo as the most certain guaran-
tee that war will not ensue.
Arguments Advanced.
They argue that President Gales,
fearing attack by internal foes able to
arm themselves, would move promptly
to avert such a fate by satisfying the
United States. The embargo-lifting
party, too. points out that the Ameri.
can republic, which came into exist
'ence $50 years ago as the result of
war OF revolution, ought to be the last
to prevent neighbors who want to
change their government from trying
to do so by force.
None Of these possible ways out
Of the crisis with Mexico yet has been
decided upon. The administration
knows, from communications from the
public, that American popular opinion
of a solution is hopelessly divided. Our
authorities are patiently trying to
work out a scheme that will fully safe
guard American rights--there is to be
no recession from that principie-but
at this hour everybody qualified to
know claims to be at sea as to what
direction events will take. Another
three weeks, however, will tell.
tCopyright. 1922