Evening star., 1942-01-15
Mexico ColIuborutes

Commission has been formed AMI
will start functioning at an early
date is an event of Importance IL
many ways. Locally, it insures un-
fed defense, In conjunction VITA
Canada, of the entire North Amer
can Pacific Coast against Japanese
aggression. Continentally, it like
wise insures economic integratiol
for common war aims, since the new
commission will function along the
same economic lines as the Unite1
States Canadian Commission which
has already produced highly CRAFTY
ing results. Hemispherically, t
strongly promotes that larger unity
which our diplomacy seeks to forle
at the Pan-American conference
convening at Rio de Janeiro. IL
deed, the mere fact of this announce
ment, coming only three days before
the formal opening of that confe--
ence, should have a powerful PSI
Geological effect upon its delibers-
tions.
This Defense Commission is tie
logical elimination of a steady trerd
toward friendly collaboration b.
tween Mexico and the United Stats
which became evident in the cary
days of the present war. The Mex
can government consistently has
shared our aspirations for Par
American solidarity against external
dangers, and its unpleasant exper-
ences with Axis pressure politics ard
f1fth-column propaganda has CAUSED
it to take strong measures againit
those insidious tactics, eliminating
in formal severance of diplomatic
relations with all the principal AXIS
powers-Germany, Italy and japan.
Although Mexico has not declared
war against the Axis, as have TIE
other Latin American republics If
Central America and the Caribbean,
it is certainly cordial mon -belliga-
ent" from our standpoint
1t is interesting to note that Me-
leo has taken even stricter preventive
measures against Japanese activities
within its borders than we have doIe.
This is evident chiefly in the Mexican
state of Lower California. Thlt
long, narrow peninsula, whose NORTH
ern border is within long-range a.
tillery fire of our naval base at San
Diego and which stretches southwa'd
almost 800 miles, has been a chroric
worry of our military and naval
strategists. Almost uninhabited, is
numerous bays and secluded valleys
could provide bases for japanese
submarines and airplanes. These
possibilities have been minutely il
vestigated by japanese fishing fees,
while many Japanese have settled n
the peninsula, often without mu:h
economic excuse for their presence
Realizing the potential dangers of
the situation, the Mexican goverl-
ment handled it swiftly and dr$s-
tically. Hardly had Japan dealt It's
treacherous blow at Pearl Hartor
when the Mexican Navy established
tight patrol of its Pacific coa@s.
Then a strong force of Mexican
troops was dispatched to Lower Cali
fornia, moving across United StaIes
territory at our invitation. Lastly a
decree was issued ordering all JaIa-
nese residents of Lower California
to be evacuated to other parts of
Mexico. Thus, trouble from this
ticklish quarter probably has been
effectively squelched.
Mexican American solidarity in
the present struggle stands out in
refreshing contrast to the wartime
period of generation ago. When
the United States entered the cen-
flict in the spring of 1917, the rea-
tionS between the two countries had
been bad for years. The Verac,uz
incident of 1914, the Villa raid acr,ss
the border, and many other irritalts
produced chronic tension. The Car
rama administration was coverly
hostile, and Mexico was a haven :or
German agents. Happily, all thai is
"long ago and far away"