Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-02
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAU Y. COLLINS.

There is an outbreak of unrest in
various parts of the world in OppSi-
ton to minorities-whether religids
or racial.
In Mexico, the Gales governmet,
which has been charged with bOlsh
vistic tendencies, has undertaken D
enforce the constitutional provisiQ
against alien teachers and priest;
Scores of priests, mostly of SPANS
birth, have been expelled and thu
church schools closed.
In a press dispatch. Albert Tejadal
secretary Of the interior of Mexico,
explains that conditions in Mexico are
very different from those in the Cath
Ole Church of the United States,
where there is a religious movement
that dedicates itself to religion" while
in MeXica, he claims, there is IAN
INSCRIPTIONS group of foreign priests
devoting themselves TO further feeling
against the government"
Senior Tejada undertakes to make it
clear that the enforcement of the con
stitution is discriminatory, being di-
rected not at religion, but at alien
priests who attempt to interfere III
politics. Others assert that the move
ment is bolshevistic opposition to re-
ligiOn.
In Italy and Rumania there is a
movement equally drastic, aimed
against the Protestants. excepting only
such denominations as are recognized
in some countries by the governments
as the Anglican Church in Great
Britain and the Greek orthodox
+ Church in Greece.
According To an Associated Press
dispatch, the secretary of the Amer
lean Baptist Foreign Missionary So
ciety. DR.. J. Il. Love. reports a cable
from London. stating that the first ar
ticle of the proposed new constitution
of Italy limits the liberties Of BaptistS,
Weslevans and Methodists.
A cable from Rumania states that
the Greek Orthodox Church Is the
recognized church of that country, and
that the government will discriminate
against other sects which hold com
mon faith with large American bodies.
1t adds. Already Baptist preachers in
Rumania have been arrested and
beaten"
our own colonial history contains
tales of religious intolerance which
check descendants of the early set
tiers from too much ComplaCency at
the present sectarian intolerance in
other countries-anti-C Christian in
the Orient and the Near East, anti
jew in Russia and Rumania, anti
Catholic in Mexico, anti Protestant
in Italy and Rumania and anti-reli-
gious among the bolsheviks every
where.
X * = *
1t is less than one century since
the idea of Justice and equity to racial
minorities was first recognized
among the great powers, notWith-
standing the announcement half a
century earlier that "all men are
created equal; yet, in some parts
of the world religious minOrities had
been protected for centuries. When,
in 1914. Belgium was united 10 the
Netherlands, there was stipulation
providing against any change in the
fundamental law, which law assured
equal liberty to all religious cults.
In 1880 the great powers first took
thought to protect minoritles of
Catholics in Greece during the dis
solution of the Turkish empire in
Europe A protocol between Great
Britain. France and Russia provided
Especial protection for the Catho-
lies" and declared that person s
religion shall not interfere with his
fitness to hold office" This protec-
tion was reinforced in 1868. when the
Ionian Islands were added to Greece,
and again in 1881, when Thessaly was
annexed. =,
Next came the assurance OF reli-
gious equality and liberty in Rumania.
Serbia. Montenegro and Bulgaria
when their independence was recog-
nized. Rumania has never treated