TROUBLE IN MEXICO

Evening Star, Issue 19328, 14 August 1926, Page 4

TROUBLE IN MEXICO

IKE RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY

EXECUTION OE PRIESTS

DENIED

press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright.

MEXICO CITY, August 12. The War Department denied the reports of serious clashes in the States of Michoacan and Guananjuato. -_lt stated that no Homan Catholic priests had been executed anywhere, and no citizens had been killed in the fighting between the people and the soldiers. Five citizens were executed for crimes in connection with the religious controversy.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

THE CONSTITUTION

HOW RELIGION FARES

The new Federal Mexican Constitution of 1917, which amended the Constitution of 1857, granted, among other things, universal suffrage, and separated the church from the State. It further laid down that no ecclesiastical body could acquire land, and made education free, compulsory, and secular. The now Constitution in many respects remained in abeyance, pending the issue of regulations by the President giving effect to its provisions recently. President Calles issued the necessary regulations regarding strictly secular teaching in the schools. As a protest against these regulations, the Homan. Catholic Church has withdrawn all priests from the Mexican' churches. Ab a result of the enforcement by the Mexican Government of the religious (or irreligious) provisions of the Constitution, a total of 202 foreign-born clericals had been expelled from Mexico by March 15. More than forty generals who fought in the revolution met in Mexico City some time ago, and founded a society to oppose the socalled Fascista movement which, they alleged, was secretly supported by the Roman Catholic authorities, and by one international Catholic body. AntiCatholic societies have sprung up in ; many States, and are declared to bo provoked by alleged religious interference in politics. The Mexican Fascista movement was started in Jalapa some years ago, and spread rapidly to the principal cities, including the capital, where offices were established. Travelling agents wore cent to all parts of tho Republic to spread propaganda against the land laws, as well as against Socialism and i Communism. The new land Laws reserve rights of ownership to Mexican citizens, and have been severely attacked by American' oil companies and other foreign groups.