in order to establish the fact that the business which they proposed to conduct would really add a new business to the industrial life of Mexico. Having obtained these certificates, they secured a "concession" which granted to the enterprise of developing petroleum, which they proposed to conduct, immunity from all national import and export taxes on any material which they might bring in for use in their business, or any product thereof which they might ship out of the country for a period of ten years. This was the sole advantage ever given Mr. Doheny and his associates by the Mexican Government. Having obtained this concession, they then proceeded to invest several millions of dollars in the purchase of land and clearing it, drilling wells, providing pipe lines, tankage facilities, refineries, vessels for transporting oil, and all the other equipment required for the successful prosecution of the business which eventually added greatly to the economic wealth of Mexico. In order to do this, of course, they staked millions of dollars upon the chance of finding oil in paying quantities.
There is no doubt that, owing to the habit of speaking of work done by Americans in the development of petroleum and other enterprises of that character as "concession," there is a general impression that the lands have been obtained as a gift from the Government, perhaps
