have been uttered about the dealings of our people with Mexico, and which, alas, have found credence to which they were not entitled among men in responsible positions in our Government, may be cited the history of oil development.
PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT
The existence of petroleum in what is now the state of Vera Cruz, was known before the Spanish conquest. Asphaltum, produced by the drying on the surface of exudes from these oil deposits, was used before the time of Cortez for making the floors of the Aztec temples. The Latin inhabitants of Mexico knew of the existence of these oil exudes from the time that they first occupied the country. Notwithstanding this fact, and the further fact that since the development of oil in the United States it was known that exudes of this character indicated the presence of petroleum beneath the surface, no citizen of Mexico ever showed the possession of energy and initiative enough to attempt the development of these oil measures. It remained for two Americans, Messrs E. L. Doheny and C. A. Canfield, citizens of Los Angeles, to undertake the development which has added enormously to the economic wealth and welfare of Mexico, and which has conferred a great benefit upon the civilized world. These men, who had made fortunes in petroleum
