asphalt residuum from the distillation of the crude oils furnished paving materials, with the result that numerous Mexican cities that had never known a yard of good pavement became the possessors of beautifully paved streets. In addition, it has furnished employment for thousands of Mexican workmen at wages several hundred per cent greater than any that they had ever received from their own countrymen. Furthermore, the "concession" obtained by Mr. Doheny and his associates conferred no immunity from state or municipal taxes.
In entering upon the development of oil in Mexico, these citizens of the United States and other foreigners did nothing more than was done some years ago by a great European corporation, financed by the Rothschilds, known as "The Shell Oil Company" (Royal Dutch), in securing large areas of oil territory in the state of California; the only difference being that production in this territory had been developed as a profitable business before these foreign interests acquired their property, while those Americans who first entered upon oil development in Mexico assumed all the risks of failure which confront every pioneer in a mining venture. The foreign company which has acquired oil properties in California sells some of its products in this country and ships quantities of it to other markets, while all the profits of the
