Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1926-12-02

January l next, would be followed by
severance of diplomatic relations. Mr..
Kellogg gave Mexico to understand
that If Americans are deprived of the
properties they acquired prior to 1917,
when the naturalization program was
adopted and in defiance of the under
standing on which Washington recog-
nized the Obregon government in 1923,
the American government will with
draw recognition of the Mexican gov
eminent.
Down in Mexico City the party lead
ers assert there is no prospect of the
enactment of any legislation acceding
to the American demands; but they
also look for nothing more serious
than a continuation of the contro-
versy. The United States is expected
to reiterate that the laws in question
are retroactive and confiscatory The
Mexican government is expected to
stand pat on its suggestion to Secre-
tary Kellogg that he base his protests
on concrete cases of retroactivity and
of conflscation.
NF ALL the dominions Of the Brit
~ ish empire, only India and North
Ireland seem dissatisfied with the de-
cision reached by the imperial confer
ence-that the empire shall hence
forth consist in theory as we'll as In
fact of an alliance of independent Brit
ish nations under one king. AS the
adopted plan states Of the dominions:
"They are autonomous communities
within the British empire, equal in
status, In no way subordinate one to
another in any respect of their domes-
tic or external affairs, though united
by common allegiance to the crown
and freely associated as members of
the British commonwealth of nations"
India Is displeased because she is
omitted from the arrangement for the
reason that her status was fixed by
the India act Of 1919. North Ireland
objects because the new title of the
king-"Gecsge v, by the grace Of God.
of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Brit
ish dominions beyond the seas, king,
defender of the faith emperor of In
dia'-includes Ireland as unit, not
recognizing the partition of Ulster
The Obstetrics fear this is part of a
plan to force them to unite with the
Irish Free State.
THERE were two important devel-
4 opments in the long-standing con-
troversy over the best route for the
proposed waterway from the Great
Lakes to the Atlantic. The joint en-
cheering commission of Canada and
the United States made public it's re-
port indorsing the st. Lawrence plan.
1t urges Harvesting of the st. Law
renee river for development of about
100000 electrical horse power for APP
portionment between the United
States and Canada and the opening up
of the river and lakes to permit the
commerce of the world to penetrate to
the head Of the Great Lakes The cost
is figured at s5O9,OoO,OOO. OF this to-
tai S275, 100000 is set out as charge
able to the navigation project, which,
from the standpoint Of the Middle
West, Is the big feature.
On the other hand, the Mississippi
Valley association declared itself in
favor of the so-called all-American
route from the lakes to the seaboard
at New York city. This was the rec
ommendation Of the resolutions COM
mittee headed by Thomas F. Cunning
ham of New Orleans.
A LBERT B. FALL, former secre7
"A tary of the interior, and Edward
L. Doheny, oil magnate, went on trial
last week in the Supreme court Of the
District of Columbia, on charges of
conspiracy to defraud the government
In the oil leases The prosecution
contends that for 100000, the pur-
chase price of New Mexico ranch,
Fall aided Doheny's Pan-American Oil
company in obtaining fraudulent
lease on the governments naval oil
reserves in the Elk Hill fields Of Cali
fornia, that the money was paid No
vember 80, 1921, and that it was a
bride.
The defense is that the leases were
made to aid the governments naval
policy, that patriotism dictated the
contracts on both sides, that the $780,
600 was loan to Fall because of a
friendship that had existed for 80
years, cemented around prospector's
campfire on the southwestern desert.
4 MONG the decisions handed down
"A by the Supreme court of the
United States last week was one of
especial Importance to public utilities
concerns and their patrons. The court
held that the spot reproduction cost