Scheme to Establish Colony on
; Mexican Border Arouses
American Hostility
BASE FOR OPERATIONS
AGAINST UNITED STATES
Land Was Bought and Develop
ed by Americans and Confis
cated by Mexicans.
Washington, March 31.?The Amer
ican embassy at Mexico City was in
structed today to make inquiries con
cerning the report that the Mexican
government has granted agricultural
concessions to Japan in Lower Cali
fornia and to report the facts as
quickly as possible.
No official information has reached
the department about the concessions
and surprise was occasioned by the
dispatch from Mexico City yesterday
quoting General Amado Aguirre, un
der secretary of development and ag
riculture, as saying they had been
granted.- The American government
is interested both because of the ap
parent?success, of Japan in obtaining
a long sought foothold in lower Cal
ifornia, and because the tract of land
involved was developed and is claim
ed " by an American company whose
rights .were declared forfeited by the
Mexican government in 1917.
The'land, upwards of 1,000,000
acres below the California border was
originally granted by the then Presi
dent Diaz to . the California and
Mexican Land Company of Los Ange
les of. which Gen. Harrison Grey Otis
of Los. Angeles was the leading figure.
; It veas. desert land with nothing grow
ing oh it but sagebrush and chap
p?rel. The soil, however, was rich,
in places 80 feet deep, formed by de
posits for generations by the Colorado
river. It produced nothing for Mex
ico, and the expense of putting water
on the land was so great that no one
in .Mexico would undertake it. The
American company spent more than
$1,000,000 in irrigation work before
the tract was productive. One of the
requirements in the concession was
that the. land should be irrigated.
Another was that it should be settled
with farmers and ranchers. Both these
requirements are said to have been
toy,'the..American company and
the^ Mexican, government profited by
tne taxesj paid by the Americans.
y "When :Diaz was deposed and the
rev^utionary period begun the Amer
ican set?ens. were ' driven from, the
laid by revolutionists. Live stock was
stolenvand .several settlers were kill
ed.. For .two years the land was un
rated for and then the company found
that "Japanese settlers were willing
to take up farms and cultivate them.
The Japanese were protected by the
"?N^Mexic?nsK whatever party of revolu
tioi?S^si. were in power in that section.
Short tlma^eases are said to have
been grantd to Japanese farmers, but
the American owners refused to sell
any of the land to the Japanese or to
grant -long term leases. On April 7,
1917 the Mexican government declar
ed the . tract confiscated,, according to
the statements of -General Aguirre
and. then, it was apparently the Mexi
can government opened negotiations
with a Japanese syndicate.
Acting Secretary of State Phillips
said today that the American com
pany in Los Angeles proposed about
two years ago to grant a Japanese
corporation long term leases on a
large portion if not all of the tract.
At that time the company still was
unable to maintain American settlers
there, but when the state department
objected to this proposed lease the
company dropped its negotiations with
the Japanese company.
"When Senator Phelan of Califor
nia recently informed the department
that negotiations had been renewed,
the company's attention was direct
ed to the American government's at
titude.
Los Angeles, March 31.?The own
ers of the California-Mexico Land &
Cattle Company's property in Lower
California still adhere to a declara
tion made to the state department in
1917 that thfy wili not "under any
circumstances make any lease of any
kind to Japanese, where colonization
is probable, until we are first author
itatively informed that such an ar
rangement will be entirely agreeable
to the government of our own coun
try."
This was announced here today by
Harry Chandler, president of the com
pany.
In his statement Mr. Chand!<*r also
said:
"*I desire to call attention to an er
ror in the statement made by the
Mexican assistant secretary of fo
mento, .General Arnado Aguirre, as
reported in the Associated Press dis
patches dated March l'9 to the effect
that The California-Mexico Land &
Cattle Company's titles came through
a concession fron? the former Mexican
government.
"Neither the California-Mexico
Land & Cattle Company nor its
grantor* ever asked for or revived
any concessions for any portion of the
lands now held by our company from
the government of Mexico.
"The lands our company owns and
controls were acquired by direct pur
chase, for cash at the full price asked,
from the Mexican government and no
concessiotis of any kind were ever
asked for or received in connection
with the purchase of our landed
property."
The property of the California
Mexico Land & Cattle Company,
known on both sides of the border,
as the C. M. Ranch, now comprises;
S30,000 acres running from the in
ternational boundary to the Gulf of
California. It was originally 862.000 >
acres, but 32,000 acres was sold to!
John Cudahy about seven years ago.)
The whole tract comprises the Mer-j
lean portion of the Imperial Valley.5
DEBS MAKES
STRIKE THREAT
Declares That Unless He Is Re
leased He Will Tie Up
Industry
TIME HAS COME
I FOR * SHOW DOWN
Law Abiding: People Should Not
Temporize With Criminal La
I bor Agitators.
j Washington. March 31.?Eugene
j V. Debs' application for a rehearing
? of his appeal from conviction and
j sentence to ten years' imprisonment
for violating the espionage act was
denied today by the supreme court
In filing his motion for a rehearing
Debs who claimed the court's opinion
j amounted to the trial of a person for
Jan undisclosed "state of mind" that
j he had been denied the privilege of
i showing his motive in making the
speech for which he was convicted
and that the court had failed to de
cide all of the questions presented to
it for review.
The prosecution resulted from
statements made by Debs in a speech
in Canton, Ohio, last June. The su
,? preme court affirmed the conviction
on March 10. Unless executive clem
ency is obtained Debs must serve his
sentence. He is at liberty on bail.
Akron. Ohio, March 31.?Eugene
j V. Debs, Socialist leader, today
threatened to call a general strike of
his party throughout the country, un
less he is granted a rehearing in the
courts on charges upon which he was
convicted under the espionage act.
Debs was confined to bed with a
bad attack of lumbago at the home
of Mrs. Margaret Prevey here when
notified the United States supr^m*
court had refused him a rehearing.
He refused to see newspaper men,
but through Mrs. Prevey issued the
following statement to the press:
"The matter is .in the hands of my
attorney, Seymour Stedman of Chi
cago. I do not know what legal ac
tion he will follow as I have received
no word from him as yet.
"Unless something can be don' the
program of the party to tie up the
country in a general strike will be
fulfilled. I am prepared to fight to
the end."
. Mrs Prevey said Debs' condition is
not. serious and that he will be able
to be cut within a few days,
j When shown the report of the de
cision of the supreme court, Debs
said:
"That means that by May 1, the day
j on which I begin my sentence, a
general strike will have culminated.
It must not be forgotten that- that
day is the labor day of the world.
On that day I had been assured that
if the supreme court had not ruled
by that time more than 5,000 labor
meetings would have been held ask
ing for my release.
"The miners of,my own State of
Indiana will start the Strike. These
men came to me at my home in Terre1
Haute before I started on my last
speaking tour and told me that from
the day I went to the penitentiary
there would be no more coal mined
in Indiana, until the day J- was re
leased.
"The movement will undoubtedly
I begin at once."
j Preparing For New War
j Hungary Sends Mission to Ber
lin to Form Alliance
i
j Budapest. March 31, via Geneva?
i (By the Associated Press).?The Hun
garian government has sent a delega
I tion to Berlin to conclude a treaty of
alliance against the Entente Allies./?
j German officers, formerly belong
j ing to Field Marshal Mackensen'*
i army, have- arrived in Budapest to ro
j organize the Hungarian army along
j German lines. The army now num
J hers 100,000 men.
j Archangel, Monday. March 31.?
[.Bolsh'eviki artillery subjected the al
lied railway front and positions south
I of Odozerskai to the heaviest bom
j bardment in many weeks yesterday,
j In the meantime the enemy is mov
! ing considerable forces through the
j woods, indicating (hat an attack may
i follow soon.
'Which is practically all under irri
gation and susceptible to intensive
j cultivation.
j San Francisco, March 31.?Direct
(diplomatic representations to Mexico
and Japan to prevent the establish
ment of land grants to Japanese
j within Mexican borders "because of
I their military and industrial menace"
'are to be urged on the floor of con
gress by United States Senator James
D. Phelan, according to an announce
Jment by the senator here today. He
j will make a direct pica to the state
(^department also, he announced.
"While Mexico is well within her
j constitutional rights in granting this
j land, it will form a 'little Japan'
right on our horders." Senator Phe
j land said. "This will increase the
? danger of a Japanese invasion in
i California, which is a very attractive!
j country for them, it would create a
' oase of supplies and would be a I
j propagating ground. i
"Already we know that the Jap-J
I anes" are coming over the border
(from Mexico. The fishermen at San
j Pedro and San Digo maintain a
large' fleet of high powe od motori
boats, and it is suspected that the]
Japanese are coming in also by that
mea ns.
"So a large Japanese colony inj
Mexjro would be a military and in-j
dustrial menace and I believe that]
the policy of the government ir, to
prevent such a settlement near our
doors. 1
Premiers Consider the Matter!
Franco-German Frontier
Adjustment
DIFFERENCES APPROACH j
A SETTLEMENT
French Economic and Political
Authority May Be Continued
Temporarily in Mines.
Paris, April 1 {By the Associated
Press).?The Franco-German fron
tier, which is still the foremost sub
ject before Premiers Lloyd George.
Clemenceau and Orlando, and Presi
dent Wilson, is being presented from
a new standpoint which offers some
prespect of agreement.
The first plan was to give France
economic control of the Saar coal
fields so as- 1 offset damage to the
coal mines >f Northern France.
France was not to have political con
trol over the large German popula
tion In the Saar Valley which would
remain with Germany. This proved
objectionable and one of the chief
causes of the council of four's inac
tion. The main objection was the
divided control, by which France
would be unable to operate the mines
effectively, prevent strikes and en
; force authority when the Germans
were exercising political control.
The new plan, therefore, seeks to
combine French economic and politi
cal authority for a temporary period
until the productive capacity of the
mines in Northeim France is restored,
industrial production revived and the
prostration due to the war, ended. It
is estimated that five years will be
required to restore the mines to nor
mal and this probably gives an idea
of the length of the proposed joint
control by France.
The fact that the control would be
temporary would overcome the objec
tion of annexation similar to the
German annexation of Alsace and
Lorraine in 1870.
The proposal was first advanced as
concerning the Saar region only but
it is regarded now as equally appli
cable to the left bank of the Rhine
as a possible basis of agreement.
A new phase of the . question of
reparations is also being presented in
the proposal to avoid stating in the
I treaty, any specific total, and thus es
f cape controversy over the largeness
or smallness of the amount. II is
I said that this is possible by defining
! '.he character of the payments over a
j period of years, without precisely de
i fining what the total would reach, and
; efforts are being made . to find a
j formula which would express this
I Idea.
j It is understood that the plan is
j considered advantageous chiefly for
j friendly countries where expectations
have been aroused of a total much
larger than is likely to be allowed.
Th' impression is gaining ground
that a formula will be found covering
reparation without naming a figure,
the suggestion being made of a com
mission to determine the losses of the
i different countries. Marshal Foch at
| tended the early session of the coun
! cil before leaving for Spa to meet the
j German plenipotentiary regarding the
I landing of Polish troops at Danzig,
j The foreign ministers met today
j and disapproved the proposal of
! George Nicoll Barnes, the British
; delegate, for a plenary meeting of the
[Conference on Saturday,
j King Albert of Belgium, who ar
1 rived today, will probably see Presi
dent Wilson regarding Belgian rn
j terests.
I -
J Paris. April 1.?The council of for
! olgn ministers at their meeting this
j afternoon received the report of the
j peace conference commission on
j Czecho-Slovak territorial claims and
j discussed the advisability of holding
? a plenary session of the conference
J for a discussion of the report on in
Iternational Labor legislation. The re
! port was made by the commission
designated by the full conference and.
consequently it probably will be re
ceived at plenary session.
The foreign ministers also consid
: ered the questions of holding busi
! ness sessions at Versailles when the
German delegates arrive there. Be
I cause of the inadequate heating ar
; rangments and its inconveninet loca
tion, there is some doubt whether
Versailles would be satisfactory for ;i
business session, although historic
treasons make it imperative that the
f peace treaty by signed there.
I Paris, April 1.?An agreement on
at least one point seems to have been
I reached in the peace conference dis
j cussions. according to The Temps.
"Germany is not to be permitted t<">
? keep garrisons, fortifications or war
j factories not only on the left bank
| of the 1 thine but. also along a strip
! of at least 20 miles on the right j
j bank."
I Paris. April 1 (By the Associated
Press).?The German financial e<><,:-;
mission arrived today at Pont-Saintej
Mayencc, about 15 miles southwest]
of Compiegnc. The members of thej
commission motored to the Chateau
Plessis Villette, where they will stay."
Access to the chateau is strictly for- i
bidden. Guards are mounted at ail i
its entrances. ;
Fruit Crop Ruined
?,
Cold Weather Has Practically;
Destroyed Virginia Peach
Crop j
Washington, April 2..Great dam-j
age to fruit and vegetableJ in the
Southeast by the cold the i:ist fewj
days is reported in advices received
here today. The Virginia peach crop
s virtually ruined. _
VICTORY LOAN
SUCCESS SURE!
I
-
Secretary of Treasury Replies to j
Calder?No Cause
For Fear
j
_ i
j
I people will sup
port government!
i
- I
I Liberty Bonds of All Classes Will !
I j
j
j Sell Above Par Before Maturi-!
j Washington, April 1.?Confidence
in the financial condition of the coun
try and its ability ?../ float the forth
looming Victory Liber.y Loan was ex
pressed today by Secretary Glass in
replying to ;ho suggestion of Senator
Calder of New York that a special
session of congress should be called
to stop depreciation in the market
price of Liberty bonds.
Far from agreeing that the de
cline in outstanding bonds might
Jeopardize the popularity campaign
for notation of the Victory issue this
month, thereby tyins: up credits by
forcing the banks to take the new
bonds. Mr. Class declared that he
wac assured the treasury's efforts to
solve the financial problems of the
j country would have the support of a
"united and victorious peopl\" De
j preciation in bonds, he said, has been
! the result of artificial causes and he
j knew of no one who did not believe
i thnv all Liberty bonds would sell
[above par before maturity.
"There is today no insufficiency of
[credit for the needs of any useful en
i terprise, nor insufficiency of gold to
: support our credit structure," Secre
itury Glass declared.
; Kchoes cf the political fight which
j occupied 'the closing hours of con
I gress were contained in the secre
} tary's reply, which was in the form
j of a letter to the New York senator.
I He quoted from a speech by Senator
j Calder on the Victory Liberty bond
! bill in which th^ senator declared
j that he saw no reason "why we should
not feel certain of the future." Mr.
I Glass said there had been no adverse
j developments since the bill was pass
; cd. which would make necessary a
I snecial session, as Mr. Calder advo
i cated.
"Already commerce and industry
; begin to show signs of the renewed
j life which must follow the removal
! of the restraints and interferences
j which war made necessary," the scc
: ret?ry said.
: "Tin- war is won. Our present na
tional debt oi* less than $25,000,000,
1000 and our ultimate national debt,
alter all war bills are paid, which
' ought not in any ex'ont to exceed $30,
! 000.000.000 against which we shall
'hold $10,000.000.000 of obligations of
foreign governments is the barest
fraction of our national resources,
j This relation of our debt to our pop
ulation and resources is small indeed
i compared to that of any of .the greai
j countries of Europe.
"The discontinuance of government
; interference with the foreign ex
j changes, made possible by the cessa
tion of hostilities has demons-rated
; the true position of dollar exchange,
j which not only is at a premium En re
flations to the currencies of all of the
|European countries which were en
: gaged in the war. but has now ap
i proached par or actually reached a
I premium with respect to the curren
cies of European neutrals."
j
? "Our reserve, the greatest in
| amount, in the world, the greatest in
! relation to circulation and eposit in
[any of the countries which were en
Igaged in the war was on March 2S,
jl!>19. C1.0 per cent of the combined
j relation to circulation and deposit in
; ties of the federal reserve banks. This
|compared most favorably with a com
j bined reserve of 4$.'.~< per cent on
1 November 8, 191S, just before the ar
mistice, particularly in view of the
? fact that since that date the govorn
; ments expenditures, for the most
part, growing out of the war, have
approximated $8,000.000,000, the
greater part of which has necessarily
j been provided by the sale of treas
ury certilicates of indebtedness to the
I banking institutions of the country.
"The government's expenditures,
which shortly after the armistice
reached a maximum in excess of $L',
000.000,000 in a month, should, after
the war bills have been paid, shrink
back to $2,000.000.000 a year in addi
tion to the filterest and sinking fund:
charges on the public debt. This debt
:is widely distributed among perhaps
(20,000,000 of our people and involves,
'merely a payment by the taxpayers]
j to the lax payers?for we are fortu- j
natc above all the great countries of!
the world in bavin?:' practically no
! foreign dd.it.
i ;
j ''The liquidation which has taken j
place in Liberty bonds since the ar-j
rnistice is traceable to other causes!
I than the interest rate and terms of
the bonds. Foremost of these causes
is the fact that many patriotic Amor
[iron individuals and companies, sub-!
j scribe for bonds, in a spirit <>f patriotic}
I fervor induced |>y the war. in excess!
j of their ability to hold. The 'over
sold' condition of the market for Lib- j
lorry bonds thus created was acoen-j
tuated by the reaction following the]
armistice, which made many reel!
they were released from the duty of I
holding their bonds in aid of thej
government's credit, by the desire to!
realize losses before the end of tin; .
year and thus reduce taxes; by the
changed financial position of many!
bond holders growing otit of the ter-j
initiation of hostilities, and worst of!
all by the wicked devices of bond j
sharps and swindlers.
"I believe that all these adverse
influences have spent their force. 1
am sanguine to believe thai the mar
ket for Liberty bonds has seen its
worst and the market position of thej
bonds will improve as true under-!
standing of the immense strength of
the financial position of the United
The U. S. Department of Labor advises you to
Save Your Money By Building a Home
We advise you to save even more money by
Buying Your Building Material From
Booth & McLeod, Inc.
When you think of building think of us.
i
I Council of Four Has Question of
! Reparation and Rhine Valley
! Under Consideration
j WILL REQUIRE
SEVERAL DAYS MORE
j This is The Great Issue Before
J Conference and France is Vi
i tally Interested in Decision.
J -
j Paris, April 2.?The oonsideraion
! of the reparation question and-the dis
1! position of the Rhine valley was con
tinued by the council of four, ocm
i prising President Wilson and the
j premiers or France, Italy and Great
Britain, when the council session was
? resumed today. It is understood
'that it is probable thru at least three
[more days will be occupied with theso
'! subjects.
j Attack Rate Ruling
i -
H North Dakota Court Seeks to
j Set Aside Freight Rate Or
j der of Raiiroad Adminis
tration
ij Bismark. x. D., April 2.?The State
;j Supreme Court today granted the ap
. I plication of Attorney General Langer
I for a writ restraining the railroads in
.! North Dakota from charging the in
, j creased passenger and freight rate:-;
j made effective June ist; 19IS by or
der of the director general of rail
roads.
An appeal to the United States Su
? preme Court will be taken by the so
j licitor for the railroad administration,
j it was announced.
Telegraph Users
Suffer Big Loss
Mackay Declares Increase in
Rates Means Payment of
Millions of Dollars
j New York. April 1.?Clarence H.
I Mackay, president of the Postal Tele
jgraph Cable Company, in a statement
i today said the 20 per cent increase
in telegram rates ordered by Post
master General Burleson means a
loss of $1 ?,000.000 a year to tele
graph users. He declared his com
pany would restore the old rates at
once if .'vir. Burleson would relin
quish control of the Postal lines. Mr.
Mackay said the lctal telegraph busi
ness of the country is approximately
$80,000,000 a year.
I Disorder in Frankfort
All Available Troops Rushed to
j Scene
Frankfort, Tuesday, April 1.?Riot
ing broke out here again this after
j noon, and mobs plundered provisions
I stores. All available military forces
j were rushed to the scene. As this dis
patch was sent the lighting was con- j
I tinuing.
I - i
! Casualties in Frankfort
I - I
j Eleven Killed and Twenty-Five!
Wounded
j Paris, April 2.?A Zurich dispatch!
j says that in the Frankfort riots on i
i Monday eleven were killed and twen
I ty-tive wounded. The police made!
j four hundred arrests.
German Chiefs to Meet!
Conference of Party Leaders
Called To Discuss Danzig
Question
Zurich, April 2.?In view of * fresh
negotiations over the Danzig question
the German cabinet decided to gath
er the chiefs of all parties of the na
tional assembly .-it Berlin tomorrow
to reach an agreement on the policy j
to be followed, according to an an
nouncement by iln* German propagan
da service.
Crisis in Germany
More Serious Outbreak Than j
Those of Winter Expected
London. April 2.?Describing the ,
outlook in Germany the correspond- ?'
cnt of The Daily Mail says a crisis
is rapidly approaching which seems j
certain to be graver than either thel
January oj- March outbreaks. ' I
States becom? s disseminated and as j
the Victory Liberty lor.n campaignU
proceeds." I \
WILSON WARNS
AGAINST DELAY
Tell Conference That the World
is Waiting on Conclusion
of Peace }
- j
NO MORE TIME
SHOULD BE WASTED
j Suggestion Comes in Conference
After More Than Usual Ora
I tory Had Eeen Heard.
i
j Paris, April 1 (By the Associated
I Press).?What is construed as . a
j warning that the world could not
[long countenance further .delay, in the
j adjustment of peace was delivered to
the allied premiers and military rep
' resentatives of the associated powers
! by President Wilson yesterday,
j It is learned that a late hour on
'Monday he arose during the confer
j ence taking place in Premier Clem
I cnceau's room at the French war of
! lice, and solemnly assured the con
j ferees of his belief that they should
jdo all in their power to bring togeth
er the loose ends in the debate in an
[effort to unite on peace terms upon
i which a treaty might be presented to
j Germany.
j It is understood that the president
j pointed out frankly the delays that
I have occurred in the work of peace
i making. He declared that the world
j was awaiting the conclusion of the
; task of the conferees and that it had
j a right to expect early results,
j The president's appeal for an ^
j pedited effort followed a long session
fin which there had been more than?
jusual oratory. It came at the close
I of a day when financial experts~~had
j been called before the president and
ithe premiers. They had explained the
j different .points of view that had
j arisen during the consideration of the
j question of reparation. Military ex
perts likewise had been consulted at
j length regarding the reparation,
i Military experts likewise had been
I consulted at length regarding the dis
i position of the Saar Valley, the. left
j bank of the Rhine, the problem of
j Danrdg and other questions in which,
j strategic issues were involved. -
i President Wilson explained that he
I was willing to accept his share of re
i sponsibility for the peace conference"
j delays. He was careful to point out
that the slowness of the negotiations
I was not due to any single country or
: its representatives. He declared em
t phatically, however, that the time
I for talk was virtually finished and
j that now was the time to show re
sults.
I Paris. April 1.?Settlement of It
j aly's frontier question contemporan
[eously with that of France was insist
j ed upon today by Premier Orlando
; at a conference with President Wil
j son just before the council of four
'convened to discuss the Italian fron
tier question.
! Paris, April 1.?The Italian prem
ier asked the president whether he'
did not think it advisable to have an
informal e:. change of views on the
Italian problem, especially as regards
the Adriatic, before it is presented to
the council. The president replied
that he shared this view, but owing to
pressure of work, had been unable
to personally study the Italian ques
tion. However, he promised to do
so.
Premier Orlando's suggestion at a
simultaneous session of the frontier
question involves a joint peace with
Austria, a plan which is favored by
the American delegation provided
that it doe*? cause too much delay. In
this connect ion with American, boun
daries commission expects this week
to conclude all boundaries, including
those of Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Paris. April 1.?It was stated au
thoritatively tonight after the meet
ings between President Wilson and
the premiers that the prospects for an
accord were more hopeful.
Distinct progress was made at the
morning and afternoon session, par
ticularly regarding the Saar River.
The indications are that the French
will get coal from the Saar valley
which will be charged against their
share in the reparations. There was
some discussion of the advisability of
leaving the eventual disposition of the
5aar valley to a plebiscite.
Bolsheviki Renews
Attack
Severe Fighting Continues on
Archangel Front
Archangel. Tuesday, April 1.?The
Bolsheviki again attacked allied po
rtions along the railway near Odaer
?kaia, and also made an assault
igain on the Lues east of Bolsheoia
)zern yesterday but at both places
vere repulsed.