The Washington times., 1938-03-28
Cardenas Asks for It

On Saturday March 49, President LazarO Cardenas of
Mexico seized about $45O,OOO,OOO worth of American,
British and Dutch oil properties in his country The expla
nation given that Mexican oil should henceforh be
produced consumed and exported for the benefit of Mex
leans, not of Gringos or other foreigners.
The reminds of the Italian Bolshevks seizure
Of the Fiat auto works in Milan in 1920 The Reds could
make long materials held out Then, however,
they found nobody willing to sell them materials
credit and they couldn't sell the because they couldn't
pass legal title to them. Musso1s March Rome put
an end to that, for better or for worse. l..
Mr. Cardenas already meeting with somewhat similar
ishaps. Mexican oil production has been cut 500, since
the world market for Mexican oil is practically closed
pending developments Storage tanks filing toward
capacity. Mexican food prices rising and the
sinking because of this sudden dsocaton of one of Mex
cos big industries. The Mexcans find themselves up to-
now unable to eat Mr. Cardenas patriotic speeches
l. We wonder whether Leon Trotsky hasn't had some
thing to do with all this. Trotsky has been guest in
Mexico for some time now, and an honored guest.
Trotsky is one of the smartest Reds extan though
he lacks sufficient umph to put all his ideas into opera
tion But wherever Trotsky goes things begin to
ferment.
Whatever or whoever is responsible for Cardenas'
I'll H.. denas is asking for it and better have it.
We say this though we have read most Of
Haze 1t the current denunciations of Imperialism
and agree with of them
Mexican oil development has not been brought about
by American or British or Dutch imperiaists walking
in with big guns and backsnake whips to yank guitar
playing natives out of state of primitive purity and
chain them to derricks and tank The foreigners
bought their way into Mexicos oil fields with the con-
sent of previous Mexican governments They have paid
Mexico royalties production
What friction developed after many years OF this was
smoothed out by the late Dwight W. Morrow when ne
was ambassador to Mexico. Morrow did such good
lob that even his enemies could pick serious flaws
in it. Left to themselves the Mexicans would not have
deveoped their oil resources in long time and would
have been correspondingly worse off now.
What we think Mr. Cardenas had better have if he
persists in asking for it by the United States
to prevent him from exporting any of this expro-
priated oil.
Mexico can't consume all nearly all the oil its oil
fields produce Prosperity of the Mexican oil industry
and of the numerous Mexican workers it employs,
depends mainly on export.
It would be no great trick to cut off Mexican oil
exports The Mexicans own practically of the
tankers in which the oil would be exported; and we
should certainly prevent them from expropriatng the
tankers ALSO Such oil as Mr.. Cardenas could smugge
across the United SatesMexco border would not meet
the pay rolls of the newly nationalized Mexican oil
properties
Mexican oil could and should be bottled up in this
way without lengthy debates and without misgivings
on our part, if Cardenas goes being unreasonable.
The "good neighbor' policy does not oblgate the
good neighbor to present his end to not
good neighbor and ask for a swift kick.
All of which illustrates again the indispensa-
bty to nation which wants to keep its sefrespect,
of q strong navy. If we didn't have strong navy,
we'd have to take this and similar kicks in the pants
and like them. We need to build and maintain the
best navy in the world.
Ham on Mackerel