Milford chronicle., 1941-09-12
MEXICO ASKS FOR MORE

~ WAbkhCo pvt HAO. BA CW AAAE5 a
cure-all for the long existing
MexicO-U United States troubles.
Washington officials are strangely
silent on the subject but Mexico
City sources and the Washington
rumor factory have supplied most
of the details.
The ingredients in the brew are
said to be Mexico's promise of i'm
mediate transformation from bad
boy to good boy and one hundred
million dollars, more or less, of u.
S. taxpayers money. The ingred-
tents are being mixed in the dark.
When the brew is finished the
United States will have Mexico's
promise and Mexico will have one
hundred million dollars, more or
less, of our money.
According to news reports Mex
leo plans to use some of this
money in stabilizihg her currency:
some of it on highway construc-
ton, some of it for agricultural de-
velopment (Which was almost fa-
tally setback when Mexico eonfis-
Gated U. S. owned farm lands),
and a tiny bit of it to make a token
payment to the American oil COM
panies whose properties Mexico
confiscated three and a half years
ago.
This last item is the senegam-
bian in the woodpile. That appar-
emily is what all the secrecy's
about; the reason why the victims,
the American companies never |
have been consulted Mexico, with |
mysterious help, has out-fought, |
Out-maneuVered, out-lasted dough-
ty, just, honest Cordell Hull.
Three things stand out in this /
transaction. One is the State De-
partment's "hush-hush" policy and
practice; one is Mexico's complete
success; and the other one is, who
has done this to Cordell Hull?
At the time of the confiscations,
Mr.. Hull stated that under inter-
national law the appropriated
of American. nationals
must be paid for by compensation,
representing fair, assured and ef-
fective value of the properties
taken." In that same rebuke to
Mexico our able Secretary of State
declared that the right to expro-
pirate "is coupled with and condi-
toned on the obligation to make
adequate, effective and prompt
and that, 1.-THE le-
gality Of the appropriation is in
TACT dependent on the observance
Of this requirement. Secretary
Hull also declared in 1888 that
the taking of property without .
is not expropria-
.ion." 1t is confiscation. 1t is no
ess confiscation because there :
maybe an express intent to pay at
'ome time in the future"
So far as the record goes, Secre- =
airy Hull has not changed his
opinion that the action of the Mex !
can government sis no less confis- s
,ation because there maybe an ex-
)ress intent to pay at some time in /
he future"
Very clearly Mexico is repeating
he same promise it made more
han three and half years ago and
which it has lodged ever since.
I i tshould get by with token
,ayment" it would be in splendid
hape to defeat the position taken
nd maintained for over three
ears by Secretary Hull. There is :
in the news of the day
hat indicated that he has changed
lis position. But what Washington a
8 wondering about is how the
United States Government can be d
Dckeyed out of all its rights. The !
il companies have been asking for i
settlement by arbitration of their
laims against Mexico. But that I
overnment has always eVaded the
,sue, and its counter proposals :
ave indicated that the Camacho
overnment has schemes up its =
leeYes to pay off American oil in f
estors ON the basis of a few cents =
n the dollar, which the u. S. tax 4
ayers are to provide according to O
le present under-cover scheme. r