BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

250 BARBAROUS MEXICO
or in his business connection with some other persons
of means who hold such properties or such concessions.
And through one or the other of these avenues undoubtedly
nearly all of our largest publishers, of books,
magazines or newspapers, are touched. The situation
in my home town may be a little exceptional, but from
it may be guessed the extent of the "skilfully applied
influence" of Diaz that probably extends over the whole
country. I reside in Los Angeles, California, where
there are five daily newspapers. At the time of the
high-handed persecutions of Magon, Villarreal and Rivera,
Sarabia, Dc Lara, Modesto Diaz, Arizmendez,
Ulibarri and other Mexicans, political enemies of Diaz,
in 1907, it became plain that the muzzle was on all of
those newspapers. Suspicion was confirmed by a managing
editor of one of them, who said in confidence to
me and to others:
"The newspapers of this towiz could get those men out
of jail in twenty-four hours if they went at it. But they
won't go at it because the owners of all five are interested
in concessions in Mexico. You see we're up against
it. We don't dare to say a word, for if we did Diaz
would get back at us."
Two of these newspaper owners were Mr. Hearst
himself and Harrison Gray Otis, the latter proprietor of
the well known Los Angeles Times. Each of these men
own more than a million acres of Mexican land, which
they are generally credited with securing from the Mexican
government for nothing or practically nothing. In
addition to owning a magnificent stock ranch, Mr.
Hearst owns vast oil lands and, in addition, is credited
with being involved financially with the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company, which is one of the hugest beneficiaries
of the Diaz government. As to the rnagnjfi-