Evening star., 1938-05-03
MEXICAN
ALLY VISITS HERE
Chief of Dominant c. T. N.
Says Mexico Has No Set
appropriation Policy.

Mexico has no systematic program
for appropriation of foreign properties,
and this step was used against the oil
interests only because of the exigencies
of the controversy. Vicente Lombardo
Toledano. head Of the dominant c.
T. M. Radical labor confederation, as
serted here yesterday.
He stopped in Washington to confer
with John L. Lewis. with whose Com
mittee for Industrial Organization the
Mexican organization has co-operated
closely for several years. and to invite
the c. I. o. chieftain to attend the
anti-war congress in Mexico City next
September.
After the conversation, Senor Lom-
bardo Toledano gave new evidence OF
solidarity between the c. 1. o. and his
Confederation de Trabajadores de
Mexico, but denied that the relation
ship rested on anything more than a
moral basis
Discomfort Denied.
Flatly denying reports of discomfort
among Mexican Oil workers due to
failure of the government to provide
wage increases and other improved
conditions it demanded of the foreign
companies, Senor Lombardo Toledano
gave assurance that oil would not be
sold to Fascist countries.
In marketing its large surplus of
petroleum the Mexican government is
working to sign contracts for its ex-
portation to the United States and
other democratic countries" he de-
clared.
Senor Lombardo Toledano. whose
organization now claims a member
ship of 100000 workers and peas
ants. visited the Mexican Ambassa
dor. DR.. Francisco Castillo Najera, and
left Immediately afterward for New
York. where he is to sail for Eng
land and the meeting of the Second
International at Oslo. Norway, this
month. From Oslo he will go to
Geneva for the opening Of the annual
session of the International Labor Or
ganization, to which he is Mexico's
delegate
To Explain Policy Abroad.
At Oslo he declared, he will explain
the legal, economic and social aspects
of the oil appropriations and invite
European workers to the anti-war
congress. He expounded the Mexi-
can governments side of the case at
press conferences here.
The economic justification for the
seizure of the oil properties" he said,
was that the companies had recuper-
ated their investments in Mexico 10
years ago.
"On the sociological side. the COM
panies gave nothing in exchange for
the fabulous wealth they extracted
from Mexico's oil resources. and pro-
vided a rather insignificant income
for the government.
THE oil workers live in the most
unhealthful part of Mexico. A recent
survey of tropical health conditions
by the International Institute Of
Tropical Diseases in Germany showed
that 80 per cent of those working In
tropical areas, where the oil fields are
mainly located, suffer from intestinal
diseases, malaria and tuberculosis.
Living Conditions Horrible"
Furthermore, the living conditions
are horrible, in contrast to the supe-
rior accommodations provided for the
foreign oil officials and technicians
and their families. While producing
about double what the American oil
worker does. the Mexican worker re-
ceived one-fourth the compensation. :"
With a presidential election two
years off in Mexico, Senor Lombardo
Toledano parried questions about any
intention to succeed President Lazaro
Cardenas, who is constitutionally dis
qualified from seeking reelection.
1T is not question of personalities
but of platforms" was his only COM
ment
Besides his wife and three daugh-
ters, the G. T. M. chief is accompanied
by Alexandra Carrillo, Jesus Yuren
and Jose Jimenes Aoevedo. all his
G. r. M. ueutenauts.