The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-10-19

Article 33 of the Mexican ConSt1- tuition of 1917 provides that any for eigner may be expelled from Mexico upon the decree of the chief eXecu- tive without cause or trial before any sort of tribunal or person whatever No nation in modern times has ever asked or received or granted any such principle. It annuls one Of the prime purposes of governments: the protection of their citizens abroad While maintaining such an unpre- cedented and tyrannical article in It's constitution the Mexican government has repeatedly inquired into the treatment of-its citizens In this, coun- try-a right which is readily granted.
 The Mexican Constitution provides that no foreigner may appeal to his home government for protection or his property rights but shall hold such rights only as Mexican cltf- zen. No government in modern times has ever demanded or granted such a principle. The we'll recog- is that foreigner shall exhaust his legal means of defense in the country and if he still has not received jus tice the matter may be taken up through diplomatic channels The principle which the Mexican govern ment is struggling to get the United States to approve Is that if an Amer lean citizen finally appeals to his government against injustice he shall forfeit all the property in question.
 Churches Cannot Own Property The same article of the constitu- ton against which the oil land own ersshave protested, provides that no church shall own property but that all such property automatically be- comes the property of the nation. American churches own property in Mexico and have done so since before the Constitution of 1917 went into eff feet so that the same principle which applies to the oil property applies to the church property. The reason this m raPa1N.ah RnhtlR Aften- ton is that the Mexican government has not attempted to eonflseate the property of these Ar American e,.PI Pretes- os. have thus far all been directed against the Roman Catholic church.
 The Mexican Constitutfon also pro vides that no foreigner may preach religion in Mexico, Thus far no American missionaries have been | silenced,
 1 The Constitution makes it manda- | tory for state legislatures to limit the amount of land which any per son may own and such laws have | been passed, Everyone of them is specifically retroactive in effect. They | fix time limits upon the sale of the | excess lands, usually one year and | the value is fixed without the owner having a hearing. They provide for | the seizure of the excess lands. pay ment to be made in 20 year bonds | These bonds would have no value and have not even been issued although I many thousands or acres or lands have been seized.
 Mexican Bonds Defaulted
 Every government recognizes and exercises the right of eminent do- main but always with the under standing that payment for seized l property must be made immediately and in gold. No other government contends that bonds are legal tender even though they may be at par but every sort of Mexican govern ment bond has been defaulted.
 Under the Constitution of 1917 there has been enacted the 'Ley de Ejidos' which provides that village roundingg lands as 'commoa lands terms of this Mexican law 50 or more property as sauatters without legal right and not only hold the lands they occupy but claim surrounding lands. This right is not oHfy specific in the
 law and constitution but has been eX- ercised and is still being exercised | often with the encouragement of pub
 lie officials:
 linden the Constitution of 1s1T there Is a Flaw of idle lands" which I provides that iapds not planted on a certain date fixed by law may be seized by the public officials and par ce1ied cut ta tflase wha wish them, Under tHe law the title to the lands
 is not affected but the rent is ar bitrarily fixed by the law at five per eept- of the crop. which is an unpre- eedepted figure. Rentals for arabic lands in nearly all countries range