The Daily News WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1935. MEXICAN REFORMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1935, Page 4

The Daily News

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1935. MEXICAN REFORMS.

OFFICES: NEW PLYMOUTH. Currie Street. STRATFORD. Broadway. HAWERA. Hisrh Street.

The arrest of Archbishop Pascual Diaz, Roman Catholic Piimate of Mexico, and the fine inflicted upon him for “violation of the religious laws by officiating at services outside the Federal district,” will be an unpleasant surprise for those who hoped the election of Lazaro Cardenas as President would lead to less unhappy relations between Church and State in that country. President Cardenas, who took office last December, was elected as a reformer. He was known to hold anti-clerical views, but it was hoped he would adopt a more conciliatory course than that of his predecessor. Recent happenings, however, combined with the regimentation of a religious festival held within a fortnight of Cardenas’ inauguration as President, make it appear that the hostility to the Church is still bitter. In his general policy President Cardenas is showing some of the zeal of the reformer. Within a week of taking office he issued a decree closing all gambling places in Mexico, although their establishment had improved tourist traffic and brought considerable revenue to the State. Cynics observed that the fact that the gambling resorts belonged chiefly to supporters of ex-President Rodriguez and of the popular leader General Calles may have added to the President’s zeal. It was contended by his opponents that Cardenas was only the puppet of Calles, and the assertion of authority by the new President was received with some surprise by the adherents of the General. The liquor trade in Mexico City has also been warned that reform of the traffic is impending and discussions have begun as to the form it should take. President Cardenas’ policy is, generally, that of “Mexico for the Mexicans,” and particularly for the return of lands to the Indians. Eight days after he took office he resumed over 900,000 acres of land said to have been acquired by an American rubber company, but upon which no developmental Work had been carried out. A protest was filed by the company, but it was not anticipated at Washington that its claim would be pressed effectively. Funds are being provided by the President for State loans to enable those placed on the land to stock and equip their holdings, and it is said that other “foreign-owned” properties may be treated in the same way as that of the rubber company. The President’s difficulty will be to carry out his policy of restoring lands to the Indians without the confiscatory methods adopted by President Obregon when many private properties were taken by the Mexican > Government without compensation. This led to the refusal by Great Britain, and other countries to recognise the Abregon administration. When it was brought to an end by the assassination of General Obregon an Anglo-Mexican Claims Commission was set up, and the acceptance of its recommendations made possible. the complete resumption of diplo-

matic relations between Great Britain and Mexico three years ago. Huge “concessions” are said to have been obtained by American speculators in Mexico, the areas granted being simply held for exploitation and causing a lack of suitable lands for closer settlement in the same areas. Cardenas, who is stated to be of Spartan habits personally and unflinching in his desire to purify Mexican public affairs, will not find his task easy. Fortunately economic conditions in Mexico have shown a decided improvement in the past twelve months. The high price of gold has helped, and there was a general increase in the production of gold, silver, copper, lead and petroleum in that period. The value of exports for 1934 was nearly three times that of the preceding year, a reflection of the revival of trade in the United States and Great Britain, the two largest purchasers of Mexican raw materials and metals. For over 20 years there has been friction in varying degrees of seriousness between the United States and Mexico. On more than one occasion there has been almost warfare in the border areas, for many years the happy hunting grounds of “bad men” from both Republics. President Roosevelt’s policy of the “friendly neighbour” towards Latin America may remove some of the Mexican suspicion of the northern republic, and reforms in Mexico which entail interference with American projects may be regarded with less acrimony at Washington than would have been accorded them a decade ago.