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tached to passenger trains were dynamited by other insurrectionists and the loss of life from all causes may be conservatively set down as exceeding 30,000 since the departure of General Diaz. The number of sick and wounded will never be known, as statistics covering the subject are as little regarded as are the unorganized commissary or medical corps.

Certainly the business interests of Paris, Berlin, New York and London wish to know how the matter is to be adjusted. The bonds of the destroyed railroads had been purchased in those cities. The railroad investment is not the only one. Foreign owned mines and industries where millions of foreign capital have been employed, are closed to operation. Smelters at Chihuahua, Torreon, Monterey, Aguas Calientes and San Luis Potosi, involving more hundreds of millions of foreign capital, have suspended operations.

The oil fields of Vera Cruz and Tamaulipas were threatened and harrassed and the export production doubly taxed by the conflicting parties. These interests alone may easily be valued in combined European and United States capital at an aggregate of $500,000,000. One English company, the Aguila, alone has an investment of 8,000,000 pounds sterling and one American company (Doheny's interests) an investment of $50,000,000 while there are seventy other operative oil concerns in the Vera Cruz fields, including the Southern Pacific Railroad; John Hays Hammond's interests (Goldfields of South Africa, Limited) and the Waters Pierce Oil Company, whose works were reported destroyed in April, 1914, to gether with other foreign interests, with a loss of $5,000,000.

Foreign banks in Mexico have refused deposits and have practically suspended business. German shipping

firms and German ships are suffering, so also are those of English and United States firms. The loss to foreign investors is, computed in the aggregate, in the neighborhood of $1,500,000 (gold) per day.

Both the British and German Governments have protested vigorously concerning the non-protection of the Vera Cruz oil fields. Their interest is due to oil contracts for their navies.

After the Marconi investigation, which involved certain members of the British Cabinet, public feeling was that members of the Government should abstain from speculation in Government projects. While this subject was "white-hot" in the Parliament, Mr. Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty, informed the House in words to the effect that he did not care if members of the House owned shares in the Eagle (Aguila) Oil Company (Lord Cowdray's), but proposed to publicly inform them that an oil contract for the (British) Navy would be let to that company. About that time Lord Cowdray let contracts for the building of twenty oil tank steamers of an average carrying capaciy of 12,000 tons each, to ship oil from Tampico and Tuxpan to Europe. Most of these are in commission today.

As Lord Murray. (of Elibank), formerly chief Liberal whip of the present Liberal government, is an associate of Lord Cowdray, and as the latter in addition to his oil interests in Mexico, is interested in the Isthmian Railroad of Tehuantepec, it is not difficult to imagine the source of British anxiety and pressure for protection.

Is the British Government entitled to it from the United States Government in view of Mr. Olney's interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine? Fair minded men will say: Yes! The United States Government is not dealing with private corporations in this instance, such as the Hu

asteca Oil Company, or Mexican Petroleum Company, whose American interests can apparently be disregarded with impunity. The interests of the Government of Great Britain are directly affected and the pressure behind its complaint to the British Cabinet, not only on Lord Cowdray's account, but because the Mexican situation effects the oil supply for the British Navy. The neutrality of that navy might be appreciated some day by the United States. Government in the event of trouble with Asiatics. Germany is also scowling for similar and other reasons.

Will the State Department of the United States ever realize that barbarians must be conquered before they can be pampered? It is the simple history of civilization. The sword in one hand, fire-water in the other and the Holy Script may follow. That has been Britain's method of civilization and colonization, and by that method it has overturned tyranny, rebellion and barbarism on three continents in the last three decades, and now controls the whole of one continent, the major part of another, nearly one-half of North America and a very large part of Asia. These annexations matured during the Victorian period. Queen Victoria hated war, but never avoided it when the occasion demanded it for the uplifting of Britain and extension of civilization. Great Britain had to fight for expansion and civilization, so will America or be humiliated. France and Germany adopted the same policy. The United States is merely temporizing.

In Mexico Spanish subjects were expelled without reason, except that they are Spaniards.

A dispatch to the Press from El Paso, Texas, dated April 8th, 1914, said:

"The Spanish refugees from Torreon began crossing the international bridges (El Paso) shortly after eight o'clock this morning, it was not until this evening that the

last of the unhappy refugees was safe on the American side.

"The delay was caused by the physical examination of the 600 men, women and children composing the cavalcade.

"The examination of the baggage was merely perfunctory, they having no baggage except a few small grips and some bundles of clothing. All had been taken from them before leaving Torreon.

"Refugees said that they had been stripped of most of their belongings of value before being put on board the train at Torreon. They were forced to open the bundles and the Mexican officers took all new articles of clothing and all articles of linen that were clean, saying to the Spaniards: 'When you came to Mexico you had nothing but a dirty shirt, and you can leave Mexico that way.' Among the refugees are some of the richest and most prominent of the Spanish residents of Mexico, chief among them being Rafael Arozarena, cotton king and millionaire of the Laguna district. Like others, he brought but a small hand grip containing some clothing.

"Other prominent Spanish business men of note among the refugees are Jose A. Gonio, J. Serano and A. Arrebijillaya.

"The Roman Catholic priests of Torreon were also exiled with the Spanish subjects. One of the exiles is General Ricon Gallardo, who is a Spanish subject and retains his title of Marquis de Guadalupe."

Inconsistency of action is again clearly demonstrated on the part of the U. S. Emigration officers. These poor harrassed refugees were made to go through the prescribed form of medical examination with a fair chance that many of their number might be refused admission; in which case they would have been between the "Devil

[graphic][subsumed][merged small]

He raised

President of the United States of Mexico for thirty-four years.
the Republic to a high plane of prosperity, and on retiring
left $40,000,000 in gold in its treasury

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