Waiting

Titles to approximately 80% of all U. S.-controlled Mexican oil lands were on deposit last week with the Mexican Government which has promised to issue "operating concessions" to the owners in accordance with the new Mexican laws (TIME, Jan. 25).

All Mexican oil lands whose owners did not surrender their titles and apply for concessions by last week are now technically the property of the Mexican State.

It remains to be seen whether the Calles Government will dare to seize these lands, in defiance of the protests of Secretary Kellogg (TIME, Dec. 6). The U. S. State Department intimated last week that it would wait for a concrete instance of seizure before taking action.