U.S. Liable For Mexican Claims?

1916

HELD RESPONSIBLE BY OTHER NATIONS, IS REPORT.

Foreigners Said to Have Been Told That This Government Is Bound to Settle Damages for Them.

NEW LONDON, Connecticut — After an agreement is reached on the question of safeguarding the Mexican border from Mexican bandits, one of the most important matters which will come before the American and Mexican joint commission, according to Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior and chairman of the American section, is that of finding a method of settling claims for the loss of property and life by Americans and other foreigners in Mexico.

These claims, as told in The Saturday Blade last week, total at least $1,000,000,000 and may exceed that figure. About $400,000,000 of them are held by foreigners and the rest by American citizens.

Altho the Government of the United States is not known to have ever officially admitted any liability for the losses of persons belonging to other nations, the consular representatives of Germany, England, France, Spain and other nations in Mexico have told men of their nationality that the United States was bound to settle their claims, according to Americans who have recently arrived from Mexico.

Mexicans Want Money.

At the conference here this week the Mexican representatives were told flatly that unless the United States was assured that Mexico would guard its border effectively and that the property and lives of Americans in Mexico would be protected, American mining and ranching interests in that country would be unable to furnish any part of the revenue of the Carranza government.

The American commissioners also advised the Mexicans that the order imposing confiscatory taxes on certain foreign-owned mining properties in Mexico ought to be rescinded.

Try to Show Mexico Is Safe.

At the suggestion of the American delegates the Mexicans began presenting detailed reports as to the progress made, since the recognition of Carranza, toward re-establishing order. Whether Americans are to be invited by their own Government to return to their properties, it was indicated, depends apparently upon the showing that can be made as to the ability of General Carranza to protect them from bandits.

—The Saturday Blade, Sept. 16, 1916, p. 3.