The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-06-17
Mexicons Coming to
u. S. Forms Said to
Be Highgrode Worke


Viva los Estados Unidos de Amer
lea! Viva los Estados Unidos dc
Mexico! Unidos por la Victoria!
Long live the United States OF
America! Long live the United
States of Mexicol United for Vic
tory
This is the writing seen on cars
| of the train bringing to Montana the
largest group of agricultural work
ers the state has ever seen trans
ported in one movement. The Mex
leans scrubbed the slogans them
| selves. Howard Harper, county
FSA supervisor, reports.
These campesinos,' he contin-
ued, ARE as fired with patriotism
for winning the war as any Amer
lean. They come up here to save
the crops that are as essential as
ammunition and they know the role
they are playing in our war effort.
The farm security administration,
in one weeks time, has brought
from the interior Of Old Mexico to
Montana 1125 Mexican farm work
ers from all the farming regions of
Mexico.
This is probably the maximum
supply that Mexico can allow us for
the duration of the war, because
Mexico also is at war and has need
of manpoWer
Nov is the time for fellow Mon
tanans to realize that new type of
agricultural labor has been brought
to our state to save our crops,
type we have not seen in 20 years.
The interior of Mexico is vastly diff
ferent from the border towns. Mex
leo, in sincere effort to aid us in
our agricultural needs, has allowed
the United States to pick the cream
OF her crop of farm workers. They
have treated us we'll, as Allies
should do. Let us see that we treat
her citizens as we'll The interna-
tional contract, signed by both our
countries, has as one of its main
clauses, that they shall be allowed |
the rights and the respect due
American citizens.
Most of the men coming into |
Montana from Mexico have left
their wives and children behind. /
This is not a small sacrifice for
them. They are in a country they
have never seen before and they
cannot speak our language. At any
time they have the privilege to ask
to return to Mexico and the FSA
will repatriate them. They are here
as free citizens of free land, lend
ing their services in time of need.
It is our duty to understand the
human situation and to educate
them In our way of life, which is
new to them.
IL we were miraculously trans
ported to Timbuctoo we would find
ourselves in the same situation and
we would think the people in Tim
buctoo were the best people on
earth II they helped us along.
we have the workers here now.
II is our JOB to see to it that they
stay. They are here solely for ag-
rlcultural work. They cannot work
IN industry Hence their only alter
native Is to return to Mexico. But
the number that returns to Mexico
cannot be supplanted. Each Mexi-
can national repatriated is a farm
worker lost to Montana.
In California the majority of the
growers say they have never seen
such high and efficient type of
agricultural workers III IS years.
When 1000 of these workers arrived
last fall in California the immedi-
ate results were that the sugar fac
tories worked at 100 per cent ca
oaclty for the rest of the season
Then the Mexican nationals helped
n other crops. To quote man.
ager Of lemon growers associa-
ION, Their behavior Is excellent
Their attitude is inspiring. Their
cleanliness, their housekeeping,
heir self discipline are amazing.
n short period of time they have
earned more than many American
workers These nationals have
saved our crops"
|