Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-26
PERSECUTION FOR REVENGE.
Villa and His Policy Relating to the
Clergy in Mexico.

The most comfortable job in connection
with the Mexican revolutions must be
that of press agent at Washington. pro
vided the salary comes with reasonable
regularity and is not paid in the funds
of the employing country, says Wash
ington special to the Boston Transcript.
Every Mexican general doing business
enough 10 get his name in the paper
maintains a press bureau in Washing
ton, if only under the guise of conf
Dental agency" and every press agent is
surrounded with more or less of junta,
whose members hold up the tagging bust
ness of Washington hotels in the dull sea-
son, along with the tourists. Villa, Car
rama and Gutierrez all are OF have been
represented by confidential agents in
Washington, and as the State Depart
ment makes a specially of suppressinG
most OF the real news that comes up
from Mexico, the confidential agents have
clear field. The output is prolific, for
in addition TO supplying the newspapers
with "firsy handouts" as most solemn
official pronunciamentos are STYLED by the
correspondents, the agents compile neat
little pamphlets Mandatory Of their chiefs
Offices.
The first pamphlet issued from Villas
headquarters was known as the Green
Book, in accordance with the latest mill
tary style. The colors have varied from
time to time, however. and now have got
down to a modest drab. in which En-
rique c. Llorente. the Villa chief of lit
erary staff, now produces General Fran
cisco Villa: His Policy in Dealing with
Certain of the Clergy and the Reaction
airy Element in MeXico-Its Justification
This document is attracting special at
tention because, after solemn citations
OF the Supreme Court of the United
States to justify Villas spoliation of
churches and churchn1en, ii bitterly at
tacks Cardinal Gibbons, because OF an in
terview with that p-elate published in
the Baltimore Sun of March a.
According to Senior Llorente, General
Villa has abundant legal warrant for mis-
brutal treatment of Catholic clergyrnen
and institutions in Mexico. The sacred
Mexican constitution of 1857. which is still
in force. expressly prescribes agonastic
orders, thus making it incumbent upon
Villa, as the dutiful executive OF the
fundamental law, TO confiscate the mon
asteries and expel their inmates. Whole
sale extortion from the priests finds its
justification i'll couple Of decisions of
tie Supreme Court Oooley VS.. the United
States, 1S3 L. S. Reports, and United
States VS.. Diekelman, 80 L. S. Reports)
whose present convenience may be in
ferred from the italicization of certain
a.
Thus in the Dooley case, which deals
with revenues derived from enemy ter
ritory. the loud pedal is used upon this
phrase There is no limit to the powers
that may be eXerted in such cases. In
the Diekelman case the Supreme Court
states the principle of martial law as that
OF military necessity and Senior Llorente
emphasizes the dictum that it is admin
lstered under the supreme control of
the general of the army The inherent
nobility prompting General Villa in his
ruthless persecution of the eccleses sites
and his confiscation of their properties is
exemplified, according to Senior Llorente
by the fact that the proceeds of the an
preparations thus made were devoted
by General Villa to the relief of the
needy Inhabitants of Chihuahua and to-
ward aiding the widows and orphans of
those men of his command whose lives
had paid the penalty for their devotion
The patriotic acts of Villa should not b
misjudged. however, for Villa is mot on
posed to the church as an institution"
On the contrary. wherever he finds a
priest so poorly placed that he can get
nothing out of him he lets him alone
Legitimate ministers of the Caholic
faith explains the Villa press agent,
usually humble Mexican citizens, true to
their duty, to their country and to their
calling. have suffered no hardships. at the
hands Of General villa: they have. ~ .