The border vidette., 1933-07-15
WRIT G. BOWMAN SPONSORS
BORDER BROTHERHOOD


tional border organization will
be operating to take an active
hand in fostering understanding
aud real harmony between Amer
leans and Mexicans, says last
Saturdays San Diego Union.
The organic ltion, which tenta
lively eau be referred to as a
brotherhood" will strike Off.
cially at the many goodwill"
expressions of the past behind
which was no substance-prom.
ises of mutual cooperation"
that have done nothing to lessen
racial prejudice, contempt and
general lack of understanding
The unlimited scope of icflu
ence which such an organization
could develop has been recog.
nized already by administration
officials of both the United States
and Mexican governments.
The idea of such an organiza
ton came to light unexpectedly
yesterday when q group of Amer
leans aud Mexican businessmen,
lunching ia Tijuana, discussed
the last paragraph of Arthur
Brisbane's column in The Union
of yesterday morning. Brisbane
wrote:
THE ideal arrangement would
be one government from the
Panama canal to the north pole.
Mexico, the United States and
Canada, one big nation....,"
The men gathered exchanged
opinions frankly. Tho gist of
their thought was that harmony
between the Americans and Mex
leans would be difficult to de
velop. They spoke of racial re
strictions in social affairs, of the
contempt shown people of the
other race by border workers, of
countless incidents rejecting
prejudice and narrow minded
ness and misunderstanding.
Writ G.. Bowman prominent
businessman of California, Ari
zona and Mexico. and Democra.
tic national committeeman from
Arizona, maintained that the &c
velopment of international bor
der harmony would not be impos
sible. He has just returned from
taking part in an experiment
which proved his point.
The people of Nogales, Ariz.
aud Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
had lived in harmony for years.
The fence which divided the one
community into two towns meant
little in their friendly contacts.
In recent years, however, govern
ment immigration orders tight
ened restrictions at the fence
and hard feeling was fostered on
both sides of the line. Finally
the government was asked to
step in and do something to re
store harmony.
Bowman was appointed to
head a commission of the United
States labor department.. to in
vestigate. Following investiga
tion in Nogales Bowman's Com
mission made several recommen
dations which the government is
adopting. Among other things
th e commission recommended
establishment of an educational
system ia which border officials
on the American side of the line
would gain knowledge and under
standing of the Mexicans and
their race.
In Washington Bowman was
told by the labor commissioner
in charge of immigration that
Frances Perkins, secretary of
labor, had been cherishing the
hopa that something might be
done to foster actively method
whereby border brotherhood
could be developed. Ga bis way
to his Palm City home. Bowman
visited Gen. Pluturco Elias
Gales near E1senada and told
him what had taken place.
Gales also expressed keen
pleasure that measures had been
instituted to foster international
brotherhood. Bowman reported
Gales as saying that relations
between Americans Mexicans at
the border are better now than
they have been. and that the
Roosevelt administration has
shown sincere desire to cooper
ate in solving border troubles.
Gales agreed With Secretary
Perkins that the same sort of
border unity should be develop
ed all along the border as bad
boop racommaHp6 for N0yalaS