| OCR Text |
Show REVIEW OF THE ! SITUATION IN ! 0ILDTSTR1CT WASHINGTON, nor. 10. Another memorandum on the Mexican situation was ypnf today to President WilfiOO It deals with the interference of the .Mexican government with the opera-lion opera-lion of American owned oil properties in Mexico, and was prepared by Chair man Payne of the -hippitiK board, after aft-er representatives of the Associated Mexican Oil Producers beaded by F. R Kellogg of Nfw York, had precepted precept-ed the situation to him. At the same time Mr. Payne prepared pre-pared and sent to Secretary Lun.-dnc: a letter urcinc the importance of protecting pro-tecting the American supply of Mex lean luel oil upon which the shlppinK board is almost solely dependent for fuel lor its 500 oil burnlnc p'aasi Qg I and freight ster.mers. It developed today that the state de partment hns been continuing to protest pro-test to the Mexican government againat decrees forbidding the drilling of new wells on privately owned property prop-erty in the Tampico fields and other decreea affecting the oil interests of American and other foreigners in Mexico. Three Notes Sent to Carranza Three notes have been dispatched within -i months, but it was said to da that Pr Bid Ol Carranza had not replied to any of them The first went forward last June IS, the Becond on October 1 and the third on Novemhe 18 In th first two the slate department depart-ment specifically proteated against the action of th- Mexican government in preventing the drilling of new wells on property owned by Americans find In-siFt'1 In-siFt'1 upon more adequate protection of Americana working in the Tampico oil region. The note of November is was dla-patched dla-patched afier receipt of official information infor-mation that Carranza soldiers had seized another American-owned well on November 11' Mexican Decrees Pro'.csied. It was learned today that Mexican I military fereei at various limes during dur-ing the past month have stopped drilling drill-ing operations of American companies on the pretext that "permita' 10 drill had not been obtained In order to obtain the "permits" foreign oil com panies must agree in advance that such v.i-11 at may be drilled would become the property of the Mexican government Th? United States has repeatedly proiested against these decrees In narticular Certain American owned companlesj desiring to increase oil production to meet the present fuel cil shortage in the United State;, it was -aid. have drilled wells without admitting the loss of their porperty by ouch acts. The state department, both in formal notes and informal communications, was said to have informed the Me; ican government tint this action by the American companies was not in defiance of the Mexican authorities, but only the exercising of rights ac- , quired under Mexican law. |
