Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-22


public mass meeting at the Washing
ton Auditorium last night for ths
presentation OF the Protestant view
point on the situation in Mexico de
veioped into expressions of a SHARP
divergence OF opinion among Tho
audience, empha sized by misses an,
catcalls. during forum after The
speaking when DR.. Hubert G. Her
ring. secretary of the Welfare So
ciety of Congregatio Churches ot
the United States. attempted to reply
10 written questions after he had de
liNered an address assa ling the policy
or the United States toward Mexico
DIR. Herring prefaced his remarks
by Indicating that he did not concur
In all OF the views expressed by the
two speakers who preceded him
bishop James Cannon. tr.. of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South
and DR. Harry r. Woolever. editor OF
the National Methodist Press. botn
or whom dealt primarily with the re
lislous situation in Mexico and at
tackled the Roman Catholic hier-
archy. DIR. Herring then proceeded
to dee an address along politica
linz. asking for better understan ting
between various elements In America
for the salvation of the Mexican
people.
Applause and Misses were inter
mingled after his address when he
replied TO written questions sent Ia
the stage by members of the audience
The answer which provoked de,
cided tumult came after he had been
asked:
is Mr.. DOheny a Catholic. holding
OIL wells in Mexico for the Catholic
church,"
Assails Khan i'm Reply.
Mr.. Herring. with an expressive
gesture. seeming to indicate that the
question was puerile. tossed the slip
or paper aside without giving reply,
whereupon calls to Answer it. An.
swer 1t! You said you would" rose
from various parts of the hall.
Il answer 1t by saying that II sounds
too much like yarns put out by the
ku .kiux kian-the most un-Ameri.
can orga nization in, America" Mr..
Herring then exclaimed.
Kisses. jeers and applause were
given back by the audience after he
gave his emphatic reply. Questions
or a similar trend inquired whether
Mr.. Herring was "in the pay Of the
Pope or "a citizen of Mexico" There
ing. and the program was broa st.
DIR. Herring, who returned recently
from trip through Mexico, began his
address by explaining that there is so
much paganda afioat--''Catholic.
anti-Catholic and American oii''-that
1t is hard to get fair and unbia sed
viewpoint"
Favors Cooperation.
I'VE must talk I'm larger terms tina n
Protestant terms IL we are going to
talk of Mexico intelligently," he said,
and it Is for us, as American citizens,
to uphold the dignity and chivalry of
America in the eyes of the world.
Il think of the many noble souls In
the Catholic Church, and l feel like
taking their hand and saying let us
work together for a decent attitude
The Protestant Church has no
right TO sit in judgment on the Cath.
Ole Church in Mexico. The situation
calls for a general confession rather
than for a general Indictment"
DIR. Herring said that sharing Of our
life and culture with the Mexican peo
pie Is imperiled by 1.-The imperialistic
policy of those who would drive us
into war or separation"
To understand Mexico it il essential
to know its historical background
which has resulted in "a government
OF protest." he declared, and it is es.
sential to understa nd it In something
other than legal terms
Shortcomings Are Cited
"The great difficulty with our Am
bassador to Mexico city" DIR. Herring
declared, lis that he is a lawyer and
10 not qualified to understand the
romance and feeling of the Mexica n
people. We should have a lawyer
with a poetical education or a poet
with a legal education
The questions relative to oil land nd
church in Mexico, he said, must be
regarded as part OF a larger picture,
the program OF the Mexican govern.
ment.
DIR. Herring denied that the program
or the Mexican government is a
boishevik program. and Opined thai
there Is probably more bolshevism i'm
certain local hotel than i'm all Of
Mexico City.
THE bolshevik insists on tuning
the world upside down." he said. "and
starting all over again. The Mexican
does not, but insists on writing CON
stitutlon based on past experience.
Says Kellogg Dreamed.
'Mr. Kellogg had a bad dream one
night. He saw a man with whiskers.
| have found less evidence Of boishe.
yism In Mexico than In any place
have ever visited"
DIR. Herring added however, that
there are brands Of radicalism in Mex
leo akin to the divergent beliefs form.
erly expressed in this country BY Rob
ert NJ. La Toilette and Henry Cabot
Lodge.
The Mexican program he summa-
rized by naming and explaining the fol
lowing six points: Emphasis upon eff
cheney and honesty in business, a
pa ssNn for education, determination
to be free from ecclesia steal interfer.
ence, determination Of people to win
back rights to their own natural re-
sources, determination to restore land
to people. and Il determination on the
part Of Mexico 10 be free from foreign
domination aud interference.
PHILOSOPHERS Clash.
In taking up the question Of &C.
clesica stieal interference. DIR. Herring
said that the problem in Mexico Is a
Fundamental clash between two rival
social PHILOSOPHERS. the philosophy
Of aristocraey and philosophy of
freedom.
THE church happens to he on the
wrong side" he declared, referring to
the Catholic Church. and | hope IL
will get over On the right side
Characterizing the diplomatic meth.
DDS OF Secretary of State Kellogg as
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A. An