Evening star., 1942-06-23
Mexico Is Fighting
Relentless War on
Economic Front
Stote to Exproprinte
Businesses Controlled
By Enemy NotionoIs
By LEON PEARSON.
Second OF q Series. }


MEXICO CITY.-In the field OF
economic warfare, Mexico is Tight
Ing her new-found enemies even
more relentlessly than the United
States. The series of DEGREES just
Issued by Preside;lt Avila Camacho
will have the effect of destroying
their far-fiung commercial interests
In Mexico-perhaps forever.
BY comparison with Mexico, the
United States is engaging in half
way measures. President Roosevelt
has appointed an alien property
custodian to take care of Axis prop
erty until after the war. President
Avila Camacho Is taking alien prop
erty into a custody far more per-
manent.
In fact. the recent DEGREES author
lie appropriation of alien property,
which means naturalization under
the government of Mexico Scores
of Germans, Italians and japanese
will never see their property again.
Most Mexicans would prefer to
tangle with Germany in a more
physical sense, on an actual battle
front. and they are clamoring for
chance to do some real shooting
But in the meantime. the urge to
fight is finding full expression in
other ways.
Business to be Closed.
Take the Casa Boxer, a German
hardware and furnishing store in
Mexico City. Casa Bocer was already
suffering from the effects of black
listing, but was still doing business.
The wife of an American Embassy
offlcial wouldn't be seen inside it,
but if Mexican housewife-before
Mexico got into the wardrobe a
coffee cup and looking on the bot
tom found the words Casa Boxer"
she would not hesitate to go to
Boxers for new cup.
So, like scores of German mercan-
tile establishments Casa Bayer
6ommer Herman, Beick Felix, Car
los Stein, AEG Electric-Boker con-
tinued to do business, in spite of
the blacklisting. They still had pa
irons, and more important they
were still able to get American
merchandise. When the Beick Fe-
lix Pharmacy ran out of American
supplies, they made a deal with a
non-German store to buy a new
stock for them, paying 20 per cent
commission for the service.
But that's a thing of the past
Mexico is now at war. and the pro-
prietor Of Casa Boxer is an enemy
alien. He will be compelled to dis
miss his staff. pay them three
months salary plus 10 days for each
year of service. and close his doors
At least, such action will follow
unless the more conservative ele.
ments of the government are able
to prevent it. More than one men,
Der Of the Presidents cabinet op-
poses such drastic measures. But
the President, vested with wartime
dictatorial powers. is expected to
override the opposition.
Action in All Parts Of Country.
This single instance will be multi
piled in every city and state where
Axis property exlsts-whether stores,
restaurant, rayon factories or coffee
plantations. The Germans will feel
the force of economic warfare not
only in Mexico City, but in Puebla.
Monterrey. Mazatlan, Chihuahua and
Guadalajara, which are centerS of
German mercantile activity; and in
the state of Chiapas, on the Mexi-
an-Guatemala frontier, where Ger
mans dominate the coffee planta-
tions.
The Italians will feel it in the
state of Sonora, where they hold
farm lands. And the japanese will
feel it everywhere, for there is hard
" a small community in the entire
country which does not have one or
two japanese farmers.
It does not follow, OF course, that
ever enemy alien will suffer seizure
OF his property. The action will