| Show 1 NEWS 5 BEH BEHIND I ND THE NEWS v i By Alan n Barth Substituting for Ray Tucker WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Acting Acting Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary of State Sumner Welles last week rapped the knuckles of the Mexican government and the American oil companies with studious impartiality The state department wants the oil controversy controversy controversy contro contro- versy settled pronto But it emphatically emphatically emphatically em em- does not want to be jockeyed into the position of throwing its own official weight into the settlement Its It's known only to the top top- ranking U. U S. S diplomats directly concerned with Pan-American Pan problems but the fact is that this country's stand on the oil controversy has been dominated by fear of precipitating a political political political cal crisis in Mexico Uncle Sam has painstakingly avoided any demands which might embarrass the Cardenas administration in its domestic politics Extreme right or left factions co could ld readily readily readily readi readi- ly have used the oil issue as a pretext for lor rising against him himor himor himor him him- or for taking up arms against one another The administration doesn't care to have on its conscience conscience conscience con con- science any repetition of the Spanish tragedy below the Rio Grande Mexico's political picture hangs on taut wires these days Theres There's Theresa a national election coming corning up next year and the long-drawn- long out campaign is now becoming heated State department observers observers observers ob ob- ob- ob servers discount reports that the army is getting out of hand But they're wary of forcing Cardenas Cardenas Cardenas Car Car- denas to measures which might give his enemies a rallying cry against him They believe they've offered him a compromise which he can take without losing face and which would give the oil companies the substance if not the shadow of what they desire Its It's the view of men who have studied the problem closely that the U. U S. S oil companies could have secured a far more advantageous advantageous advantageous settlement a year and a half ago than today Retention of the expropriated properties has become an emotional issue to Mexican workers workers-a a matter of national honor Its It's no longer practicable for any Mexican administration administration administration ad ad- ministration to give the wells back to the gringos Moreover the oil companies have aggravated their larity Its It's said of them by thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- competent critics that they've guessed wrong at every turn of the controversy They argued at the outset that the Mexican workers couldn't operate operate operate oper oper- ate the expropriated properties Nevertheless the Mexicans have done it fairly well They were certain Mexico couldn't secure ethyl to raise the octane rating of gasoline produced from the petroleum Somehow Mexico overcame that difficulty They boycotted the Mexican oil and asserted loudly that no market could be found for it But they reckoned without Japans Japan's war needs and Germanys Germany's and Italy's military preparations Mexico has sold her oil and found ships in which to transport it The overcoming of these obstacles has made Mexico more determined determined determined deter deter- mined than ever to hold on to what she considers hers The oil companies find no pleasure in the last ast paragraph of Sumner Welles' Welles statement It reminds them that in in the rapid fair and equitable solution of this controversy the interests of their government are directly concerned To informed sources that means they can quit hopIng hoping hoping hop hop- ing the U. U S. S government will pick up the big stick again to fight the their r battles The good neighbor policy comes first The lads In the wage-hour wage administration administration administration ad ad- ministration have cut a fanc fancy pattern of work out for them them- selves They asked to be al allowed allowed al- al lowed to tackle it And now they're slightly appalled by the task ahead of them In asking for a deficiency appropriation at atthe atthe atthe the tail end of the congressional session Administrator Andrews confessed he was way behind in enforcement of the law Congress Congress Congress Con Con- gress granted him of the he requested It also gave voice to numerous doubts as to whether his law is genuinely enforceable Wage- Wage hour insiders insist it is But its it's going to require an immense amount of policing That was no overstatement Andrews made His office has hasa a backlog of complaints big enough to keep him busy for a year And new ones keep coming coming corning com corn ing in They come largely from disgruntled workers although there are also a number of employers employers employers em em- who are sore at unfair competition In addition theres there's the haunting fear that other employers employers employers em em- may be dodging the law with no accusing fingers to point them out The W-H W office admits admits admits ad ad- mits it ought to make routine inspections of every plant in Interstate in interstate interstate in- in commerce and hopes to get round to doing that as soon as it gets its new personnel Most cases of infringement settie settle settle set set- tle tie themselves according according- to W-H W field workers The offenders offend offend- ers frequently plead guilty and offer to make full restitution of back pay to their In some cases though there are no adequate records to determine the back pay due in others deliberate deliberate deliberate de de- de- de liberate falsification of records That's what turns the problem of enforcement into something of ofa ofa ofa a nightmare Copyright 1939 McClure Syndicate |
