The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-02
Oil and the
Irnperialists
in Mexico
BY ENRIQUE MARTIN

situation. Today no nation can lead
an isolated existence-least of all
our country-ec economically under the
control of the large capitalist ma
tions.
We are living in the epoc of inn
perialism-an epoc in which small
number of countries, economically
powerful and strongly armed, DOM
mate the economic life and in many
cases the political life of the re-
naming countries of the world. The
enc exception to this general rule is
the Soviet Union-the bu]wark OF
the oppressed peoples in their strug-
gle against imperialist oppression.
Mexico is a semi-colonlal coun-
try. In its most important indus
-oil--Mexican capital controls
less than 25 per cent; in mining,
about 10 per cent; textiles, less than
8 per cent. The transport industry,
steel, commerce and banking, are al
most completely in foreign hands.
Only in agriculture does Mexican
control reach so per cent. This
proves clearly that the Mexican
bourgeoisie is an agrarian bour-
geoisie made up of landowners and
wealthy ranchers.
But the economic dependence Of
Mexico is not sufficient to deter
mine the actual position of Mexico
in relation to the other countries in
the international situation. The
epoc of imperialism, in addition to
being a period of domination of
small countries by large, is also the
epoc of imperialist wars and social
revolution. Unsuitable hunger for
markets and sources of raw material
| precipitate war The existence Of
the Soviet Union is an intolerable
reality to the bandits of the capital
list system. The capitalist system
is preparing war against the Soviet
Union because it is the mortal enemy
of capitalism.
To cover up these war prepara-
tons, the imperialist nations have
established whole series of inst.
buttons, organisms, conferences, con-
crosses, pacts. The ultimate aim of
these is to lull the working masses
and to hide the pirate politics of the
imperialist states. 1t is not strange,
therefore, that the United States has
taken the lead in this whole series
I,,f Il
peace-illustrated by the Kellogg
pact just signed. The United States,
like the other capitalist states, is
preparing for war.
The Kellogg pact is not peace
pact. It is pact of war against
the colonial and semi-coloniaI coun-
tries and against the Soviet Union.
This pact leaves the U. S. free
hand in Latin America for ''peace-
ful penetration" such as at pres
ent applied in Nicaragua. The pol
itics of the u S. in Mexico, in Cen
trail America and the other countries
of the Caribbean, form part of the
war preparations of American i'm
perialism. For a victorious march
of the Yankee army, military occu-
patton of these countries is indis-
pensable Mexico, Venezuela and
Colombia have the oil without which
it is impossible to move the armored
tanks and airplanes.
The location of Mexico's oil fields
on the gulf-a naval base in case
of war-the location of the oil fields
in Venezuela and Colombia-close
to the Panama Canal-strategic path
of greatest Importance for the war
in the Pacific-the possibility of
building another canal through
Nicaragua, parallel to the Panama
Canal-all Of these are indispen-
sable factors for Yankee imperial
ism.
The War Against Mexico.
The war of the United States
against Mexico has no uniform
character. Sometimes it assumes
the form of armed intervention;
sometimes the support of one or an
other political faction, fomenting
civil war; today the war is carried
on by the open support of the reac-
tionary forces and through economic
pressure against the government
and the public administration of the
country. AS proof of this it is suf-
ficient to recall the maneuvers Of
the oil companies in 1926-1927 to
force the government to yield on
Article 81 of the Constitution. At
that time General Gales, in a speech
to congress, stated:
"Thc decrease in exports and ex-
ploitaticn of natural resources date
back to 1925, when the oil Companies
began their reduction. The total
sum in taxes which the government
receives from the exploitation and
export Of petroleum does not pre-
sent a favorable future. In 1922
the oil taxes were 80 per cent of
the total national income; in 1924,
10 per cent; if 1926, IL per cent,
and in 1927 will not pass per
cent"
This statement becomes more
eloquent when translated into fig
ures. The taxes on the production
and export of oil contributed the
following to the national income
a riyap ~, ,>1~..