The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-12-31
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 81, 1926
MExICO's PROBLEM

Land is back of the trouble
between the United States and
Mexico, land taken from the Mex
lean people by Porfrio Diaz and
given to great landowners.
According to the census of 1910,
Mexico had population OF about
15,000,000. OF these 834 were
great land owners, haciendados, and
between 100000 and 10000 900
were the peones de campo and their
families, people in debt-slavery from
which they could not hope to escape,
and in which conditions were worse
than in the worst of the slave days
before our Civil War.
When Porfirio Diaz became presi-
dent, and dictator, in 1876, the
Mexican people, many of whom are
Indians, did not own land. But
their villages did For example, the
community lands belonging to the
village of ,Colima amounted to H.
$50 acres. This was enough to
support its population of about 25,-
900, not in luxury, but contentedly.
Diaz was president and dictator OF
Mexico from 1876 until his over
throw in 1910. In order to buy off
possible rivals and to reward sup
porters, he gave land from the public
domain to the wealthy and powerful
leaders whose aid he desired. The
public lands not being enough, he
issued in 1890 series OF degrees
which divided up the community
lands belonging to the villages.
These lands we're speedily taken
over by the great land owners, until
in 1910, there were S34 of these
rich proprietors and 100000 serfs
in population of 100000.
From the beginning of Mexican
history, the oil, gold and other
mineral wealth belonged, not to the
owner of the land under which they,
might be found, but to the nation.
Diaz, by a series of laws issued in
1884, 1892 and 1909, abandoned
this old principle of Mexican law,
and allowed the owners of the sur
face land to own the mineral wealth
beneath also.
1t was during the rule of Diaz,
that American, English and Dutch
business men got control of Mexican
mines and oil wells. Americans
now own more than 500 OF the
oil business in Mexico, and Mexicans
only 1-10%.
To right the wrongs done to Mex
leo and the people of Mexico during
the lawless and tyrannical dictator
ship of Porfirio Diaz, the present
Constitution of Mexico included
Article 27. This Constitution went
into effect on May /, 1917, but
some Of the laws necessary to carry
out its provisions have been passed
only recently.
Article 27 of the Mexican Consti-
tuition of 1917 says that lands,
waters and forests belong originally
to the state, which alone has the
right to give title to them. The
mineral wealth belongs to the state.
Should foreigners suffer financial
loss through the carrying out OF this
Article of the Constitution, Mexico
has repeatedly declared its intention
of making such losses good. Thus
far no loss has been suffered, as the
laws do not go into effect until
January 1st next.
AS there are many ways OF settling
such disputes fairly and peacefully,
and as Americans value highly the
liberty they have won, 1T is un-
thinkable that the United States
will fight Mexico. Rather our ma
tural attitude is one of sympathetic
interest in the efforts of our neigh
bors to win freedom and prosperity
for her people, in the face of many
difficulties.