Of considerable importance in Russian petroleum affairs at one time was the European Petroleum Union, organized for combat in the world markets with the Standard Oil trust. This union included among others such important petroleum operators as Nobel Bros., the Rothschild interests (now Dutch-Shell), Mantaschoff (now Russian General Oil Corporation) (British), and the Deutsche Bank, the latter controlling Akverdoff and Spies in Russia, together with important companies in Roumania and Galicia. How far this union controlled the affairs of its constituent companies is not evident from available data, and its present influence on companies now operating in Russia is uncertain. Conditions in Russia make impossible any definite statement on the petroleum situation. A decree of the Bolsheviki government, dated June 20, 1918, on the nationalization of the petroleum industry, declared as the property of the state all movable and immovable property employed in and belonging to that industry. Trading in oil was declared a state monopoly and was delegated to the chief petroleum committee of the fuel department of the supreme Council of National Economy. As the chief producing areas are now under British military control, this decree is ineffective. Commercial control of petroleum in _Mexico_ is divided among United States, British, and British-Dutch interests, which controlled about 65, 30 and 2 per cent., respectively, of the production in 1917. The interests of the United States include the Doheny group, operating principally as the Huasteca and Mexican Petroleum companies; the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, operating as the Penn-Mex Fuel Co.; the Sinclair interests, operating as the Freeport and Mexican Fuel Oil Co.; the Texas Co.; Gulf Co.; Southern Pacific Railroad; and others. The British interests are represented by the Pearsons, operating as the Mexican Eagle Oil Co.; and the British-Dutch interests by La Corona Petroleum Co., and Chijoles Oil, Ltd., controlled by the Royal Dutch-Shell Syndicate. No exclusively German interests are known to hold a substantial portion of any important company operating in Mexico. Formerly concessions were freely granted to foreign individuals and companies for the exploitation of mineral deposits, and oil lands were sold by the native owners to foreigners. Article 27 of the constitution of 1917 expressly forbids any but Mexican companies acquiring directly or operating directly petroleum lands in Mexico.