Evening star., 1938-03-27
|NAz|-FASC|ST PLOT
IN MEXICO FEARED
Official Here Says U. S. Nav
Be Involved in Trouble
in Case of Coup.
BY H. r. BAUKHAGE.

| Secretary OF State Hull, hardly out
OF the frying pan Of the European and
Far Eastern turmoil, suddenly faces
the fire OF a Mexican imbroglio which
has the makings of situation worse
than any since President Harding
broke relations with our southern
neighbor.
The significance of the events of
the last few days has been consider
ably increased by confidential warn
ing, by high Government Official, of
a possible NaziFascist plot to embroil
the United States with Mexico.
The official, who cannot be named
can nevertheless be identified as of
sufficient authority to make it i'm
possible to cast aside his warning as
a mere case of jitters
1t is asserted that this plan will be
involuntarily abetted by President
Cardenas of Mexico if he is forced
into a position of clashing with the
State Department over American
rights in the case of the oil operators.
Complicating Factors.
Meanwhile, handling the Mexican
situation is made more complicated
for Secretary Hull by head-on COL
lision between his recently reiterated
policy Of protection of American rights
abroad and two pillars of New Deal
policy-first, the good neighbor"
practices and announcements and,
second. the war on our economic
royalists' on the home front
The latter phase brings politics into
the picture, for, as one unquotable
source puts it, the administration is
faced with doing for the American
big interests in Mexico what it would
scorn to do for their brethren at
home"
But the political horn of the di-
lemma, sharp as it appears even to
the casual observer, shrinks in i'm
portance beside the grim picture of
foreign intrigue which has been re-
vealed cautiously to only few outside
the inner circle.
The official who painted this dis
tressing picture did it in apparent
good faith. The purport of his re-
| marks was this:
What America has to fear in the
present european situation is involve
ment with Mexico, brought about by
campaign of the European dictator
ships to foment trouble in Mexico and
produce incidents along or even across
the American border" Bombing of
towns along the Texas frontier was
specifically suggested as the objective.
European Arms in Mexico.
From an entirely different quarter
IN Washington-namely, the so-called
liberal bloc" in Congress-comes
what its members assert is confirma-
ton of the long-current reports that
arms from Europe are reaching Mex
leo for use in fomenting a Fascist
plot there.
OF course, nothing could be further
from Fascism than the policy of the
Cardenas government, which leans far
toward the left. and. so far as is
known, Is merely carrying out the
earlier radical reforms interrupted by
ex-President Gales.
But since it is an accepted axiom
in Latln-American diplomacy that no
Mexican President can hope to hold
power long without at least the moral
support Of the United States, threat
OF intervention to protect American
rights might be expected to bring the
downfall of President Cardenas and
the opportunity for possible opponent
with Fascist backing And if Cardenas
yielded to the United States and
dropped his reform policy. little short
of revolt could be expected from the
Mexican people, led by their powerful
elements of organized labor.
Such an unsettled condition, with
the natural reaction against American
interference, would give the dictator
his chance
Labor's Sympathy.
Another complicating phase Of the
whole situation, for the State Depart
ment at least, is the open sympathy
for Mexico's stand expressed by
American labor. at least in so far as
it is represented by John L. Lewis.
Mr.. Lewis communicated with the head
of the c. G. T., Mexican equivalent of
the c. I. O., when the troubles over
the American oil properties were first
reported, expressing his approval of
the due processes Of law as operative
in Mexico.
From still another quarter comes
the disquieting report that japanese
interests already are attempting to
negotiate for such oil leases as may
have been taken over by the Mexican
government from British and Ameri-
can interests
How important amicable relations
are deemed by the administration can
be understood when a hitherto I'M
revealed chapter of the negotiations
resulting in the recent purchases of
Mexican silver by the United States
Treasury is disclosed.
Under ordinary conditions such
move would never have been made
without asking some concession from
the Cardenas government. No such
conditions were imposed, though the
fact was carefully omitted in public
discussion.