The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-01-23
THE BOOK OF RED AND
YELLOW"

A significant title for a book
and yet most appropriate one.
1t is, as the subtitle indicates,
"a Story of Blood and Yellow
Streak. It's author is the Very
Rev. Francis G. Kelley, LII. D.,
President of the Catholic Church
Extension Society of the United
States. The book is written about
Mexico, particularly the Mexico
OF the past year. 1t tells the
story Of the trials and tribula-
tiOns which have fallen upon that
unhappy country since the pres
ent unsettled state of affairs be-
gan, OF the prosecutions to which
the Catholic Church and her chill
dren have been subjected, of the
sufferings inflicted upon priests
land of the unspeakable atrocities
committed against consecrated
virgins. In a word, it tells the
story which, in a more or less
fragmentary manner, has drib-
bled through unofficial sources
into the columns of most of the
Catholic papers Of this country
during the past three months, but
which has received scant atten-
ton in the public press. AS the
author says in the preface: "This
book tells a tale Of blood and
shows the yellow streak in some
human beings. The trail Of the
coward is over the perpetrators
OF the Outrages which here are
told. No one but coward could
take advantage Of weakness and
murder innocence.
''The Book Of Red and Yellow"
gives, in considerable detail, with
in the compass of it's ninety-three
pages, the result Of the investiga-
ton carried on by DR.. Kelley
among the refugee Bishops,
priests and nuns who escaped
from Mexico and threw them
selves upon the charity and hos
pitality Of the Catholics in the
border cities. It is the only COM
plete statement of what has taken
place in Mexico since the so-called
Constituencies under Carran-
"a, Villa, and other bandit leaders
began their career of bloodshed,
rapine and lust, during which they
spared neither age nor sex, and
did not hesitate to carry fire and
sword and worse into church and
school, monastery and convent,
subjccting the inmates to the
most shameful treatment, tortur-
ing and numbering priests solely
because OF their religion and out
raging defenceless women conse-
Grated to the religious life. 1t
gives the sworn statements Of
refugees who have survived the
horrors of this terrible persecu-
ton, whose integrity, yeracity
and personal knowledge of the
events to which they bear witness
are beyond question. No need
to refer at length to its sordid de-
tails. No one can read them with
out feeling his blood tingle with
indignation that such atrocities
could be possible just beyond our
border while we, American citi-
zens and Catholics, pay scant
heed to the cries of distress and
the appeals for help that come to
us from our prosecuted co-relig-
ionists in Mexico.
The book is clear statement
of facts. 1t is written in a calm
and dispassionate manner. No
attempt is made to play upon the
sympathy of the readers or to
arouse indignation against the
apathy Of the administration.
Dr.. Kelley does not lay the
blame on the American Govern
ment for what has taken place.
He allows the facts to speak for
themselves.
The final chapter is devoted to
John Lind's articles OH "The
Mexican People" in "The Bell
man" of Minneapolis. DR.. Kelley
exposes Lind S ignorance of Mex
lean affairs and completely re-
flutes the unfounded assertions
made by him i'll regard to the
Mexican people. He shows where
John Lind got a large part of his
historical data regarding Mexico,
by placing side by side in separ-
ate columns what Lind says in
The Bellman and what DR.. Tylor
says in the Encyclopedia Britain
MICA. The deadly parallel is
sufficient evidence to discredit
John Lind III the eyes of intelli-
gent people.
The Book of Red and Yellow
should be read by every American
citizen who desires to know the
truth about the situation in Mex
leo. 1t should be read especially
by every Catholic and we hope
our readers will lose no time in
ordering a copy from the Catholic
IChurch Exfpnsion Sociptv of Chi