Bisbee daily review., 1915-04-15
CHURCH PERSECUTION IN MEXICO DEPLORED
 BY UNITED STATES
Secretary of State Bryan Tells
 of Attitude of This Govern
 ment in Reply to Request for Information from Catholics.


 cis c Kelley of Chicago, president of the Catholic Church Extension So- ciety, the following open letter on the Mexican situation
 My dear Father Kelley
 "The President has referred to me your important letter of the twenty third of February concerning the pre- sent distressing situation in Mexico, with the request that l tell you verS definitely what the attitude and acts of the administration have been in Che matter of the protection of the rights of conscience and worship there, a matter in which the administration is, need not say, deeply interested as all true Americans must be.
 "The question which has bulked largest in political discussion in con. nection with the present revolution in Mexico and in connection with the revolution which preceded it. it the and question, because upon a peoples economic relations to the land every. thing else, it would seem that is to determine it's institutions and secure ,ts freedom must depend. There can )e no permanent pacincaion in Nexi 70, no stable settlement of her poii- -ical troubles until the land question s justly and wisely settled and the and made the basis of the independ. ance of her citizens, rank and file. ana he foundation Of her family life
 But of course economic question. Ire settled, fl the matter be thoughj trough to its real heart only in or.
 sr to give leave to the deeper thing
 at are spiritual A democracy mus.
 sustained by education. by th,
 ducation of the people and ne
 chools win be as valuable to Mexico IS her acres of fertile land It will be necessary that she have them as that he break the monopoly that has con. -rolled her land
 And, above and beyond all the full Iower of democracy lies religion. ,oedom, the principle which the
 ulders of our own republic made tho
 rown of the whole structure Tt his freedom political liberty ha eemed, at many of the most import mt crisis of history to be only the landmaiden and servant There can Je no doubt in the minds Of Americans about these things.
 "The administration has not ielr au liberty to play any part in the internal affairs of Mexico except that of friend and adviser It realizes that by req sou of geographical proximity and many historical circumstances known 70 al lthre world it is in some pagti- cular degree charged with the duty lf safeguarding, SO far as it may with. in the limits of information privilege. .he lives and rights of foreigners in Mexico, and it has again and again made the strongest possible rcpresen- tations with regard to such matters -o those who have from time to time assumed responsibility for affairs ih Mexico during the troublous months through which that country has been passing At every turn of affairs there, moreover, and upon every re- port of persecution, it has advised and warned those who were evcercising authority of the fatal effect any dis regard for the lives and right of those whe represented religion or any at tack upon liberty of conscience or Of worship would LAve upon the opinion of the people of the United States and of the world.
 "On the 23rd of July, 1914. for ins- tance, a message in which the follow ing was included was sent for pre- lsentauon to General Villa and to Gen eral Carranza:
 Nothing will shock the civilized word more than punitive of yindicat- i've action towards priests or minis ters of any church whether Catholic or Protestant and the government of the United States ventures most respectfully but most earnestly to ] caution the leaders of the Mexican people on this delicate and vital mat. | ter. The treatment already said Go have been accorded priests has had ia most unfortunate effect upon opin. 1 ion outside of Mexico.
 You cannot too earnestly urge 1 these matters upon the attention ol those now in the counsels of the Cons i titutonalists It Is obvious to us that the whole future Of what the ! Consttutionalists are attempting will 1 depend upon the way and the spirit in which they deal with these ques tons Nothing ought to be over looked or dealt with hastily which may result in our being obliged to with hold the recognition Of this govern ment from the new government to Dc created at Mexico City as we with held 1t from General Huerta Ou ability or inability to serve them must now determine
 When General Gutierrez left the capital and General Garza was made provisional president by the conven t/lalists the same representation, were on January 2l. 1915, made tC him.
 When information reached Che de partment that lage number of priests had been imprisoned in the City o Fae-foD fbn FglI,srtttf, T.urat.h. st-a.