Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-30

mother cabinet ofllcer, for neither Mir. r Fall nor Mir. Hughes was cabinet of-i- Ser when the letter was penned. It b true that Mr. Fall had not expected thA letter to be published. but tha. was II matter purely within the discretion cf N Senator Lodge, and the mere fact that III Senator Lodge made 1t public is satisE factory evidence that It's publication was warranted.
 The matter of Mexican recognition is working out slowly but eneouragingly. It has been made the subject of little or I no discussioh betW6eh Secretafies Fall | and Hukhes, ,ndt beearse they kave any | difference of opinon regarding It. bdt | because the administration mas been too | busy to get around to 1t. Moreover. the | Mexican attitude is gradually changing have given the Impression that Presi- dent .Obfegon was distinctly hostile to any plan Which involved ths making of, or the promise to make, a treaty between the two countries covering the various points at issue. This may have been
 true when Obregon took ofice, and whether so or not he could have hardly said otherwise at the time. But the Mexican government has now come to see that the United States government, 1 if it proposed certain agreement, would
  clear understand1ng between the coun- tries and that no element of loss of SOW efeienty or sacrince of pfide would be Implied in the transaction.
 l The datstandinR question now Is
 mora ono of technical procedure than anything eise-how best to get at the
 matter and bring about situation which would enable th6 two countries to
 negotiate- George T. Sumfneriin. charge
 d'affaires of the American embassy In Mexico City, Is in Washington conferring with Secretary of State Hughes, Under
 Secretary Fletcher and other officials
 relative to Mexican affairs, and no doubt his information will prove useful.
 It has been intimated by President | obregon that tho Mexican congress, whicn month or two ago appeared rf- willing to lesislate favorably to the
 American contention regarding Article 27 of the Mexican constitution, is now dis posed to do 50. In fact, on April 1 Il President Obregon stated publicly ti at
 he expects the congress- very soon to eoA-
 strue the article to be non-retroactive
 thereby invalidating all outside claims upon the properties of the 6ii compaTiies which had been acquired in aecordanct with Mexican law. The congress since
 that time has. been exceedingly busy , granting leaves of absence to members
 But apparently 1t has not done niucf
 else. Whatever action the congress may
 take, 1t would be much more satisfac
 tory to the United States and would ait
 materially to compose the iiternationa
 situation if the Mexican supreme couf i should render an opinion construinr I Article 27 as desired, This actioi would be one of simple justice and t would conserve the rights of all concern } ed. Moreover, 1t would constitute q g basis for negotiation which might prov 2 extremely useful American and Mexi 1 can lawyers agree that no other Con . struction would be possible .han one af t firTning the rights to their titles of for eign investors in the oil field, ana it Is - little puzzling to AInericails, at least o why such decision should not be ren e dered at once.
 It is extremely difficult for Ameris "a c officials or anyone else to learn exacti g what conditions in Mexico are becaus of the varying character of reports froI !. that country. One group of informant q will say that combination IS being ei !. fected by such leaders as Felaez, Pabl e Gonzales. Murguia and even Villa, whic 5 Is destined very soon to overthrow tn '- Mexican government. Another will si sert that the government is very strofl v and all it's enemies weak and that 1t in no danger. It is not denied n an o quarter that Nhe labor situation :s mel v acing, for bolshevism is more or le, !, rampant In Mexico and even has invade ,1 tho Mexican cabinet. Reports fro la !. Mexico City newspapers declare tn: 10 only about one-third of the mines in u
 Itepublic are in operation, which wou h Indicate serious loss of revenue to tf n government The Government on th m other hand, now declares that It's il | ,7f AH, Iv finances are on the road to stability. d An issue which may prove tfoubl "a some, although 1t does not involve Il |. United States, has been created recent ,- by the action of the Mexican gover7 If ment In taking over four or five lar- If churches in the city for commercial pu !. poses. An the ehurehes-and the n are more than 300 in Mexico City-a tn the property of the government, but taj a always have been used for religious pu fe poses and no other except in son b. eases where they have been closed n, lack of patronage. Among these is il H. famous Church of San Francisco, in | y- heart of the city which originally wi A its convent occupied two whole ci H. blocks It Is beautiful structure, 2, rectly across the street from the fanno of Jockey club, now Sanborn's restau-a .ir and department store, and It's beautif nd gardens overlooked from the windows ch the Hotel GuardiolA. This church. or largest in the city except the Cath ed dral. Is to be made to house the Col it. mercial Museum which will be relnov re from it's present location on Aveni tn Juarez, opposite the Hotel St. Regis lal Is said that even the architecture of Il rs. wonderful old relic will be d,sfigure5 as converting 1t into two-story buildii ow The Mexican press Is up in arms agai'
 I what 1t terms this dissertation" a in although this action of the governi1it we may not become an International In ia- dent, 1t Is one Of those irritating ag currences that sometimes have far-feai
 ing consequences. This particular chui ,A. always has been kept open and is visi let by hundreds if not thousandss cf VI Id shippers every day