Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-02
MORROW FIGURES 7
IN RECONCILIATION
Credited With Bringing Mexi-
can State and Church To-
gether in Religious Trouble.

Reconciliation between the Catholic
Church and the Mexican government,
which appears certain to be brought
about within the next month, will mark
a diplomatic triumph for Dwight w.
Morrow, the American Ambassador to
Mexico. Church officials said yeSter-
day hat Mr.. Morrow's close personal
| friendship with President Portes Gil
probably did more to bring the church
and state to the threshold OF an agree
ment than any factor.
It was disclosed hat Mr.. Morrow
brought a personal message from Presl-
| dent Portes Gil to Archbishop Leopoldo
| Ruiz, exiled prelate of the Roman
| Catholic Church in Mexico, which was
ever more convincing of the sincerity OF
the present Mexican administration in
its desire to restore the Catholic religion
| to a position of freedom than President
| Girs recent public invitation to Arch
bishop Ruiz to return for a conference.
Confers With Delegate.
Ambassador Morrow conferred with
| a representative of the apostolic dele
gate to the United States the first DAY
he arrived in Washington early last
week. At that conference, which too
place at the State Department and was
held in the presence of high State De-
partment officials, he delivered Presi-
dent Gf's message. While 1t IS said
Archbishop Ruiz already had been Sc
lected by the Vatican to be the apos-
tolic delegate to Mexico, that confer
ence resulted in the announcement
being fastened.
At the State Department 1t was said
that Mr.. Morrow had acted in
the role of peacemaker between the Cath
olice Church and the Mexican govern
ment as a private citizen who wa anx-
ious to see the breach mended before
1t brought about more serious conse-
ouences for both sides. AT no tire,
however, did Mr.. Morrow enter into this
| situation at the instance Of the State
Department or in his capacity as me
American Ambassador. The United
States Government has consistently
refrained from interfering IN MeXico's
religious problem.
Planned Reconciliation.
Mr.. Morrow enjoyed the closest per-
sonal friendship with Elias Plutarco
Gales, who preceded President Portes
Gil as chief executive Of Mexico, as
well as the present administrations. He
began laying the foundation for a rec
OIlC1l1dOIO1l bCOWCCl1 AAC AAAAN oAAA eNAN
state during the latter part OF Gales
administration and continued his eff
forts in that direction with President
Gil. Several days before Ambassador
Morrow left for the United States he
conferred with President Gil on the sit
uation, at which time the Gil message
was entrusted to him.
Church officials in Washington de-
clared today that the religious problem
aooeal - ha op icSyIn hofuoon tho Uofi-
can and the Mexican government last
night, Immediately after the appoint
ment of Archbishop Ruiz as Apostolic
delegate to Mexico was announced.
From that moment, 1t was stated, 1t
became a problem between Mexicans.
The archbishop being a native Mexican,
he Is to deal with the situation as a
Mexican. On that basis, representatives
of both sides of the problem believe 1t
will be brought to rapid and satisfac-
tory settlement.
Expect Recall of Bishops.
1t was said that it is not stretching
things too far to predict that the 80
eXiled Mexican bishops will be recalled
by the Mexican government within the
next 80 days and that they will be re-
stored to the districts from which they
were driven several years ago. There
were 0Z DlSIlOpS Ill IIle OTIBlIldl &lOup Vi
exiles. Two have died in exile Church
property will be restored to the bishop,
it is said, with some restrictions which
cannot be avoided under Mexico's new
constitution.
President Gil is convinced, it is said,
that conditions in Mexico will become
more stabilized If the church is restored
as one of the free religions of the
country. With its tremendous popu-
lation, 1t is said the present admins
tration realizes hat there will be an
u~ndercurrent of discomfort and mum
blings about revolution until freedom Of
worship is again made possible. An
insipient revolution already Is under
way, headed by a group of young men
who call themselves Cristeros, which.
literally interpreted, means Christ's
men.
Archbishop Ruiz expects to leave for
Mexico City within 10 days or 2 weeks.
It Is we'll understood that he does not
expect his negotiations to require many
days. The Vatican, however, probably
will want to approve any commitments
he may wish to make as h official
representative of the Pope. There
fore, it was said, it may be about 80
days before the order recalling the
bishops is issued and an agreement
is formally reached.