Evening star., 1936-07-02
BY GORDON GORDON.


In the Southern Republic.
BY GORDON GORDON.
MONTEREY, Mexico, July IN.
A.NA).-Torn by labor dissension,
Mexico is averaging one new strike
a day, a record for a nation which
Is predominantly agricultural.
In attempting to free itself from
a ferdal age and to mold powerful
proletariat which would dictate to
commerce, Mexico is skimming
perilously close to economic chaos.
Such is the opinion of most flnanclers
in this and other major industrial
centers who are convinced that, un-
less President Cardenas acts this Sum-
mer to moderate the outbursts of the
workers, the financial structure Will
crack. The threat of disaster which
impends in the countryside over the
socialistic schools is paralleled in the
cities by the violent labor turmoil.
The government is openly allied
with the workers to resist the rapa-
ciousness of the wealthy classes" The
six-year plan. providing for Mexico's
course from 1894 to 1910, states clearly
that the government shall throw all
of its weight with the syndicates
(unions) against the capitalists.
Until recently, the Cardenas ad-
ministration was following the six
year plan to the very letter, but
then the President stopped q strike
on the Mexican National Railways in
the interests of the public good"
His decision was acclaimed by busi-
ness leaders as the first step toward
return to sane government. but
the dictators OF labor, who acceded to
the Presidents request because "of
his long record in the interests Of
the working man." prophesied that
Cardenas would not change his policy
OF 18 months of favoring the unions,
and numerous judgments Of the labor
boards since that time apparently
confirm the statements Of the syndi-
cat eheads. There is no evidence of a
change by the Cardenas administra-
ton in its radical labor policy.
Labor Assured Victory.
The strike circle is like Mother
Goose Jingle. The owner of a busi-
ness may employ only syndicate
workers, who may strike whenever
they wish. Ii they do. he takes his
case to one Of the Labor Boards,
hand picked by the government, and
the labor arbitrators. unless the
workers are demanding so much that
the amount would bankrupt the busi-
ness, rule against the owner. He ap-
pears to the courts, but the justices
are also selected for their loyalty to
revolutionary principles" As punish
ment for not settling with the workers
in the first place, he may be ordered
to pay the workers certain sum for
their expenses while they were idle.
Here are few recent examples:
l. After a five months strike at the
Guiana juato Mines and Reduction Co.
in Guanajuato. the dispute finally
reached Genaro Vasquez, director Of
the federal labor department, who
ruled for the workers and assessed the
company $4,000 pesos, about $4,000.
which was to be paid the strikers for
losses suffered while they were not
on the pay rolls.
g. In the Huasteca petroleum strike,
the labor boards decided that, pending
settlement of the dispute, the COM
pany must employ A per cent Of the
strikers as "watchmen."
3. The electric light and power COM
pany Of Tehuantepec reached the
point where it couldn't cooperate
with the workers" and the government
agreed that the workers should take
over the property.
4. The wealthy hemp owners in
Yucatan refused to allow the small
producers to borrow their equipment,
thing used in the sisal industry
public utility, subject to the direction
of the state. The hemp barons are
now virtually poor land tenants.
Business Seeks Relief.
Business leaders appeal almost daily
TO President Cardenas for relief 1.-The
number of strikes occurring daily. with
the consequent damage to industry
and the nations credit, Is alarming"
they protested recently in a petition.
The presidents blunt answer was
epochal for a chief executive of a
republic. He said: Employers who
are tired of the social struggle may
turn their industries over to the work.
men or to the government"
Infuriated, business leaders issued
O scathing denunciation of the gov
ernment's course. They declared: I'VE
will not, nor can we, turn over our
factories, our business, and our COM
panies, because ours is a trust and a
responsibility, because the laws pro-
tect us, and because, in the majority
Of cases, we are no more than trustees
of the property of others" The Presi-
ident replied with threat that the
masses might rise up if wages were
not greatly increased.
Entangled in the question of strikes
and wages is the one of communism.
The Communists, led by the fiery Her
nan Laborde. oppose Cardenas' plan
for a peaceful formation of q strong
proletariat, although they are not
above riding on the band wagon Of his
ideas, realizing that the federal gov
eminent Is sowing crop Of thoughts
tIldJ Illey may reap.
Bivouacked here In this Northern
outpost of Red propaganda. only $50
miles south of the American border,
the Communists are dreaming of the
day 10 years from now, when they
hope to give the United States a
lusty slap.
Plan Expansion.
Cockily, they expect to take over
Mexico within the next five years and
TO swallow up the Central American
Republics during the following five
years, giving them an empire which
would stretch from the American
border to the American Panama