Communications
368 THE COMMONWEAL August 18, 1926 ...
...Antonio Castro-Leal, acting head After Diaz, came the reformers, the revolutionists, the of the Mexican Embassy at Washington, and therefore counter-revolutionists, and the anti-religious campaign, with spokesman for the Mexican government, has issued his Case its dosing of schools, its suppression of convents and monasfor the State...
...It ment now is to limit the Church "to spiritual action...
...today, the day of the despot Plutarco Calles...
...New York, N. Y. (New York Times, July 30...
...Did not some highbrow readers turn over a new leaf Thus Dr...
...chosen...
...and unknown farmer and the man who earns his bread by They were "Church schools," if you will, they were the only the sweat of his brow...
...Let the Mexican government, ism" of a "pink" journal, the "courage" of newspaper editors if it will, separate the Church from the state...
...They have in editorial expressions, and the "Catholic spirit" of some been separated for over seventy years save for the government's Catholics-not to mention the ability of a Mexican politician throttling grip...
...Does he not keep you from starvation...
...are without federal aid...
...These are the Church schools, and REV...
...PETER MORAN...
...368 THE COMMONWEAL August 18, 1926 COMMUNICATIONS MEXICANA in many parts of Mexico they are the only ones that exist...
...he continues: pression where there is not even a pretense that anything exists "Upon the triumph of the Liberal party, it was possible to to take their place...
...That is the aim of the the spirit of fair play, the love of liberty, and the Christianity "Liberal party...
...T O the Editor:-Dr...
...Mexico had its industries, your keeper...
...May its irrigation ditches, and the finest railroads in America...
...Was ever any name so inappropriately existing in the American people...
...It had 14,000 of them...
...In contrast to the complacent editorial of the New York Are they: sanitary plumbing, up-to-date sewers, jitney buses, Times (August I) characterizing the present impasse in Mexico and bull-less bullfights...
...Should enables us to determine-both qualitatively and quantitatively he not have written "limit the spiritual action...
...What does the Doctor mean by "modern standards of life...
...But there is a maggot in the shell...
...It The Commonweal continue to be the friend of the despised had its banks, it had its schools...
...Why It is likely to furnish an excellent test of the intelligence, separate the Church from the people...
...Any tourist to not his keeper...
...Other countries have done it, and the Church succeeds...
...vantage to a state and society can come from this violent supThat is only emphasizing his former paragraph...
...Did city readers peruse Church...
...New York Times, August I. ) teries, its prohibition against religious teaching, its limitation He thus sums up his case against the Church: "The Church of priests, its banishing of priests and prelates, its imprisonments exercised a complete dominion over the country during three and fines, with its shutting up of orphanages, with its closing centuries, without being able to launch a movement of progress down of hospitals, with its theft or "confiscation" (to be conthat would, when independence was achieved, place Mexico stitutional) of Church property...
...agriculture, opening roads and irrigating lands...
...At the present time when the country is being reconstructed, T O the Editor:-Readers of The Commonweal, issue of the government of Mexico has declared that the reactionary July 28, must have been surprised when they saw the elements which are obstructing its way are instigated by the editorial On Behalf of the Farmer...
...That's -the "Christianity" of a Methodist missionary, the "liberalwhat his government is doing...
...scrapers, railroads, banks, automobiles, airplanes, telephones, "There had been brought into the federal school system by cosmetics, and luxurious palaces, but never without farmers January I, 1924, 4,406 elementary schools, 237 night schools, and laboring men...
...It seems our government does not know I9 regional schools, and 14 industrial schools...
...This is the black climax of among the nations enjoying modern standards of life...
...But there are that, since it takes no notice of farmers and laboring men...
...Mexico could see its peace, progress, and prosperity under the But, kind friend, it may be said that the despised farmer is "dictatorship" of Porfrio Diaz...
...These two classes of men are the backschools Mexico had-and why not, since the New York Times bone of our country...
...RAYMOND VERNIMONT...
...What conceivable adpeople...
...Antonio Castro- Washington, D. C. Leal condemned the Church for confining itself during three T O the Editor:-The struggle in Mexico is a wonderful centuries and more to spiritual activity, and he says the move- reagent in the precipitation of people's real opinions...
...The world can get along without skycorrespondent says Mexico is "99 percent Catholic...
...REV...
...He leaves us not in doubt: "After as Domestic Trouble, is the sane and conservative editorial of the war of independence, at the beginning of the nineteenth the London Times (July 30) : "These teachings [of the century, the Church in Mexico enjoyed a great political sway, Church] are the only spiritual and moral influence to guide but it never represented in fact, a constructive power for the the lives of millions [of Mexicans...
...in all Mexico 14,231 elementary schools...
...to tell the truth...
...The revolution of 1910 inaugurated a movement of new T. F. W. political ideas, and Mexico is at present passing through a creative period, spreading knowledge among the lower classes, ON BEHALF OF THE FARMER establishing credit institutions for the benefit of industry and Denton, Texas...
...I am shell...
...it...
...France has done it and the Church survives...
...separate the Church from the state, limiting the religious institutions to spiritual action, the only one which belongs to them...
...Let us observe it carefully...
...A minute ago, Dr...
...THE STRUGGLE IN MEXICO So that's the "case...
...we may learn much from it concerning the inmost thoughts The spokesman for Mexico plays to the American gallery: of our fellow-citizens...
...Thus nearly Io,ooo God bless Father O'Hara for his great interest in the farmer...
...Antonio Castro-Leal packs the "case" in a nut- saying: "What concern do I have in the farmer...
Vol. 4 • August 1926 • No. 15
