The sun., 1917-06-04
NOVEL FEATURES OF THE MEXICAN
CONSTITUTION OF 1917.
Eccacism and Of Aliens and Thai N
Shall Overworked Underpad

iHe new MeN1Can SOHstitutioh,
signed at Queretaro de Arteaga on
January 81, 1917, and fully effective
since May 1, contains 1875 articles and
sixteen transitory articles. as against
1913 articles and one transitory article
in the Constitution OF 1857. 1t is thus
a document Of considerable length.
and an English translation published
in parallel columns with that Of 1857
by the American Academy Of Political
and Social Science. Philadelphia, makes
| a book Of over 100 pages.
The new Constitution suffers from
the defect common to nearly all recant
| charters OF its kind; all sorts of mat
ters which were better left to legisla-
| tion are crowded into the fundamental
law. This sometimes results in alb
surdities, as when the second para
graph of the thirty-third article
declares:
No foreigner shall meddIc in any way
/ whatsoever in the political affairs of the
| country
A sumptuary warning. just what
is to constitute "meddling" the au-
thors OF this article did not attempt to
| say. And political affairs" is a term
rather hazily bounded. The President
has the exclusive right to expel from
the country forthwith and without jul
dicial process any foreigner-against
whom he has evidence of any kind7
| Against whom he could establish a
prima facie case? No, any foreigner
whose presence he may deem mex
pedient."
The Constitution OF Queretaro is es-
pecially strict in regard to foreigners.
Only Mexicans by birth or naturaliza-
tion and Mexican companies have the
right to acquire ownership in lands
and waters, or to obtain concessions to
| develop mines, waters or mineral fuels.
But we read:
The nation may grant the same right to
| foreigners provided they agree before the
| Department Of Foreign Affairs to be con-
sidered Mexicans in respect to such prop
erty. and accordingly not to invoke the
protection of their Governments In respect
to the same. under penalty, in case of
| breach, of forfeiture to the nation Of
| property so acquired
And within 100 kilometers from the
| frontiers and fifty kilometers from the
seaboard no foreigner shall under
any conditions" acquire direct owner
ship of lands and waters.
This passage. is preceded by a gen.
eral assertion OF national ownership
Of natural resources. 1t is followed
Immediately by a paragraph vesting
| in, ha -, l..
of all places of public worship, episco-
pal residences. rectories. seminaries,
orphan asylums. converts or any
other building erected for the purpose
Of furthering the tenets of any re-
! ligious creed The Government has
power to decide to what use such
structures may be put; a place of
| public worship erected hereafter is ma
tional property: no charitable or edu-
| cational institution may be admin
istered by religious sect or be under
ecclesiastical patronage.
Monopolies are frowned upon except
such as are reserved to the Federal
Government. which is to control abso-
lutely the coinage, the postal, tele-
graph and wireless services, and the
issuance of bills "by a single banking
institution to be controlled by the
Federal Government" There is a
| further exception in favor OF limited
patents and copyrights. But note
this highly modern clause:
The law will accordingly severely punish
and the authorities diligently prosecute
any accommodating or oornering by one or
more persons Of necessaries for the pur-
! pose of bringing about a rise in price: any
act or measure which shall stine or en-
| deavor to stife free competition in any
production. industry. trade or public ser
vice and in general whatever
| constitutes an unfair and exclusive advan-
tage in favor of one or more specified per-
son or persons to the detrment OF the
| public in general or for any special GLASS
Of society.
| Trade unions are legalzed and so
! are cooperative associations for selling
abroad. provided they act under Gov
ernment supervision and do not sell
necessg'ies of life.
Compulsory education Is provided
up to fifteen years and compulsory
military training is ordained for such
| periods as the various States NAV pre
scribe. Mexicans shall be preferred
under equal circumstances to foreign
ers for all kinds OF concessions and
| public employments. Just how far the
compulsion extends IL is hard to saw
! but at any rate "it shall be the duty
OF every Mexican citizen" to register
not only for election purposes bu,
Tor identification. to enlist in the ma
tionai guard, to vote, to fill offices to