Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-27

The Senate's adoption of resolu-
ton faVoring arbitration of the dispute
with Mexico, without limitation upon
any other steps the President deems
necessary, appears to some to be what
the French would call a beau geste -
literally translated, vain strut, at
least a futile act" They declare 1t
adds nothing to his power; it adds
nothing to the policy of the admins
tration which was not already there.
1t merely goes back to the policies of
President Roosevelt, the Executive
who spoke softly, but carried big
stick" and who, though popularity re-
puted to he "a first-rate fighting
man." never fired a shot at any ma
ton throughout his administration
and perfected more treaties OF arbltra-
ton than all other Presidents com
bined, before or since. And always
it was the Senate which hampered
all Presidents in negotiating treaties
of arbitration. Nevertheless, say sup
porters of the President and Secretary
kellogg, the beau geste" may have
a soothing influence, and prove our
readiness to have peace, as the Sen
ate orators now declare. In fact, we
will have peace. if we have to fight
for it" seems to be the admlnlStra-
TONS slogan.
X 4 X
Arbitration is not a new invention
of craftsmanship; il was practlced by
ancient Greece and by the Roman
Empire 1t was used in the middle
ages. even when the only honorable
calling of sir knights was fighting.
President Gales of Mexico minated
some weeks ago that he might appeal
to arbitration, though almost IN the
same breath he alleged that the MeXl-
can constitution was beyond afoltra-
ton, and that only after some Amerl-
can had been actually injured by q
Mexican law would there be anything
to arbitrate. His opponents retort
that that means simply that Gales
would proceed to confiscate Ameri-
cans private property and then rely
upon prolonged litigation and comph-
Gated arbitration to wear out the
plaintiff.
The outstanding fact which throws
light upon the Gales policies OF CON
fiscation under the communlstlc con-
stitution is cited in the agrarian poll
cies, affecting even native Mexican
landholders-the owners OF widespread
haciendas which have been confscated
by the state, to be distributed among
vision is that the former owners were
to be compensated in the full value
of the land taken, according to the
rate of their taxes, by being paid in
government bonds. No such bonds
have ever been issued; no robbed land
holder has ever been compensated, ana
the poems themselves have been CHEAT
ed and deceived. The peon Is unable
to farm his land, for no provision
was made for tools or capital. Bare
land is a handicap without means or
cultivation, and in thousands OF cases,
when q peon did manage TO get in
some sort of a crop. his bit of land
became a Juicy morsel for some other
peon who by chicanery persuaded the
jefo politico to award him the land
of the other peOn, and so he reaped
where another had sowed,
With such standards of adminiStra-
ton, what is to be expected from
Gales proposal vIlat property must
first be taken and arbitration of dam
ages may follow in due course?
Much has been said concerning
American oil wells in Mexico bought
prior to the adoption of the present
Q91O constitution. The new law re-
quired all holders of oil and mineral
property to consent before last Janu-
airy /, 1927, to exchange their deeds
for mere leaseholds or their equiva-
Tents, good for only so years. and
they must relinquish all right to flu
ture protection of their own govern
ment and become subject to whatever
laws Mexico might adopt. No Ameri-
cans consented to that, and all de
clare that under international law
their rights cannot be thus taken from
them without fair compensation-not
in mythical bonds, but in real values.
Oil property constitutes only % per
cent of American interests III Mexico;
Americans own mines and land and
railroad bonds, and hold claims upon
the government which are being
ignored.
X Il X
One OF the most tangible accounts
is known as the Pious fund, which
has already been arbitrated three
times and remains in default.
This was the first case before the
Court of International Arbitration at
The Hague; it was brought by Pres
ident Roosevelt and won--yet Mex
leo ignores the decision now.
In the eighteenth century this fund
was subscribed in Europe for the
purpose of supporting Roman Cath
ollie missionaries in the work OF con-