MEXICO'S DEPLORABLE PLIGHT

New Zealand Tablet, 10 January 1918, Page 83

MEXICO'S DEPLORABLE PLIGHT

;. Despite the glowing reports of. Carranza's financial agents, who are desperate ? attempts to obtain' a loan for the First Chief, Mexico is still in' a deplorable condition. ; .../ A new revolution has been started, by Porfirio; Gonzalez, in- the territory between Aldama and Ramones station, ; near Monterey, : thus making thirteen in all. The following : .letter, written by ?i a traveller, at present in Mexico City, throws light on the present state of affairs | (states an exchange of recent; date) :—. . l/0 "And now what shall I say to you regarding the political situation Here, among good, responsible people, after a long period of absolute depression, there is just now, a certain revival of hope and expectation. Carranza and his-crowd of generals and friends-seem to be going to -the wall. They have no arms to speak of, no more ammunition, and, still better, no money. They seem at last to have been left to their own fate by their friends. They are heartily detested by .the whole.nation, poor and rich they are in great disfavor among all the diplomats and frightfully divided among themselves, despite the necessity of holding together. Their failure after so many months to obtain money is a crushing and decisive blow from which they wont recover easily. Of course, this drives them still more to theft and persecution. But this has at least one good result, it provokes everybody against them, and prepares the work of reform.' "You will be interested I know, in the various revolutions still in progress here. . It now appears pretty certain that great activity is being displayed by Diaz and many others in the south and east of Mexico great preparations are going on in Jalisco also, Michoacan, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and other central States. Money, arms, and munitions which do not come to Carranza, are being supplied, they say, in fair quantities to his enemies, and already terrible defeats have been inflicted on his troops and those of his pet generals, such as Alvarado, who was beaten by the forces of Felix Diaz. There has been a general advance from the south toward the capital, and I hear, on good authority, that Diaz himself is making his way in this direction. It appears that all the chiefs in Tehuantepec, Tabasco, Chiapas. Oaxaca, Veracruz, and the * Huasteca are agreed and united.

"The Pelaz brothers are being paid 250,000 dollars, Mexican money, by the oil companies "to protect" their interest. They are serious, good people, but I don't think they will join a movement away from their own zone. I must also tell you that in Yucatan and Campeche, the sisal planters are sick of the revolution and of Alvarado, and would give a large part of their profits for a decent government. Hunger and disease are still with us Morelos is especially afflicted. The Carranzistas on evacuating last year burned all the villages and reales of the haciendas and carried off all they could, forcing the miserable inhabitants to emigrate. "This city (Mexico City) has recuperated wonderfully, in spite of the Government. Half of the republic is here with its savings. It is the blood reflowing to the heart while the extremities are dying, but here it keeps the pot boiling and residents are greatly benefited. The condition, however, of the. Church is deplorable. Nothing stops the plunderers. The churches of Corpus Christi, San Juan de Dios, Santa Teresa, and others; have been seized, and all the vestments and eacred vessels of La Profesa were stolen only a few days ago. All foreign priests have been ordered out of the country, etc., etc. I could never end if I had to tell you all they are doing against religion. May w God have mercy on the poor Mexicans!" * y *' f ' l * vWi ?™;4V^ A further account of the persecution now going on is contained "in ": this document sent to the Re vista Gatholica of Las Vegas, N.M., by the Catholics of Campeche: ... , w . "'■ .; .^

«?{ "All the parishes not under the care of native priests have been closed since September 22, 1914, the day when the churches were profaned and interdicted by the Governor, Mucel, who has just re-elected himself against : the fc will of the people of., this unhappy State. Moreover, s after r the Bishop and | his clergy had been expelled, one priest. was permitted to return, later three others joined him, thus giving us four priests for the whole S State. To-day the Governor expelled one of these -, four, the man who attended I thei large; part of the territory jof Quentana Roo, which .is part of the diocese. Hence , alt the unhappy people lack spiritual aid, with the exception of those in the city and on the Isle r of Carmen,>,where the three;priests' are. ..,,{., We, could : tell you a great deal more about this new offence, and about the sacrileges which are committed, but \ I prefer to , say that recently .the; Governor was petitioned to allow a priest to come to the help of the faithful of the parishes formerly, taken care of by >foreign-born clergy, 0 and he replied that he would not permit the service of priests either native or foreign. As this state of > affairs, so prejudicial to the salvation of souls, threatens to be permanent, we beg you to make it known to the Catholic press of the .United States, and to protest against the Governor's injustice. ?We can do no. more." f ,\ '.'. *";,,/ Such are the conditions in other States too,/as ; for instance in Sonora, where there are no priests, at all.