88 THE GREEN RISING 



of the production of oil itself. If any forward step 

 is to be made, it will of necessity either have to curb 

 development or increase development, either of 

 which will certainly in some way change the com- 

 plete dominion which the previous owner had over 

 the property involved, but such change, brought 

 about by the necessity and power of direction, is a 

 necessary incident to Government and one of which 

 no one should complain. In the case of the two 

 particular laws involved in Mexico, it will readily be 

 seen that every attempt has been made to work out 

 the situation in a manner to produce as little hard- 

 ship as possible consistent with the control of de- 

 velopment made necessary for the protection of the 

 national resources." 



It is not difficult to understand the real purpose of 

 Mexico's land policy. It is quite obvious that the 

 Calles Government is undertaking to correct the 

 errors of the past by restoring the nation's resources 

 in land to the people of the country. The serious- 

 ness of the problem becomes apparent when it is 

 recalled that citizens of the United States own 

 property in Mexico to the extent of a billion and a 

 half dollars. This includes vast areas of tillable and 

 mineral land. It will require great wisdom to ad- 

 minister the agrarian laws of Mexico in fairness to 

 alien owners and at the same time in conformity 

 with the laudable purposes for which these laws 

 were promulgated. But upon the success of the 

 undertaking will depend international good will, 



