The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-18
KELLOGG REFUSES
TO Give SENATE
NOTES TO MEXICO
Divulges that American
Oil Men Defy Law

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.-Secre-
tary of State Kellogg today answered
the Norris resolution in the senate
for information on the situation Of
American oil properties in Mexico and
the negotiations about them with
Mexico, with q refusal to turn over
the correspondence, by stating that
the state department will not advise
the companics what to do, and that
the state department considers all the
OIL companies that have acquired land
IN Mexico to have obtained it legally.
Vested Rights" in Mexico.
Ever since the question at issue
arose during the administration of
President Wilson the government Of
the United States has consistently
maintained and continues to maintain
that there should be no question as
r. the security of valid and vested
rights which have been acquired by
American citizens in accordance with
Mexican laws as they existed at the
time of their acquisition. This Atti-
tude of the government was asserted
by the American commissioners in
t''"'-' conference in Mexico City in
1923, and there is no departure from
4. IL the understanding which they
reached with the Mexican commits
sioners; and the government Of the
United States has maintained this po-
sition in the recent diplomatic corre-
spondence upon the question between
the United States and Mexico"
Land Was Stolen.
The fact that many of the oil conf
panies secured their titles from the
Diaz and Huerta governments, which
simply robbed the land from it's Next
can owners and sold it for a song to
foreign capitalists was not even con-
sidered by Kellogg in his reply to
Norris.
Won't Show Notes.
Kellogg refused to turn over cor
respondence between the department
and persons and corporations inter-
ested in Mexican oil lands, on the
ground that such correspondence ''has
been necessarily voluminous. The
correspondence, he said, Consists al
most exclusively Of inquiries or in
formation concerning the Mexican pc
troleum law and the official attitude
Of this government with respect
thereto. The department has con-
sistently refrained from giving advice
and counsel to such persons and cor
porations as to the course which they
should themselves pursue"
Americans Defy Law.
Only four American companies have
applied for confirmatory concessions
under the provisions of the petroleum
law, the statement declared. These
companies are: Penn-Mex Fuel CO..
Texas Petrolene & Asphalt Co., East
Coast Oil Co., and New England Oil
Co.
II understand" Kellogg said, "that
the first two mentioned companies are
rot actively producing petroleum in
Mexico and that the last two own no
free properties in that country"
Don't Know How Many.
More than 80 concerns which ac-
quired oil properties prior to May /,
1917, have not yet applied for conces-
sions, Kellogg said. The names Of
these companies were included in the
statement with the qualification that
the state department has found it i'm
possible to furnish complete list.
About 20 other companies have
definitely refused to accept the new
petroleum law, according to the
statement. These companies. although
'r-er'r"' owned. hold their titles in
the name of Mexican companies.