Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-22
morrow RECEIVES
THREATS IN NOTES
Blames Cranks-Mexico Is
sue, Settled-Churches May
Reopen June 20.

this privilege being the same allowed
any other Mexican citizen.
Observers believed the agreement 70
be verbal only. and having force only
through the signed announcement OF
the president. which stated it In the
form of matter Of policy. It was re-
date and acute phase Of the long con-
troversy which dated back In intense
form AZ far as the 1950s.
The agreement provided for No
change In any of the Mexican religious
laws or enabling acts for clauses Of the
constitution. Nor did 1t mark definite
concession by the Episcopate. Rather,
1t was the approach of dfncult prob
lem In a friendly conciliatory manner,
each. observers thought, pledging broad.
er and nnorel iberal Interpretation OF
the points at issue.
The problems provided by nationah-
zation Of church property. such sup
preston Of ecclesiastics as stin exists
and other minor phases Of the long
controversy have not been settled, OBJ
servers considered. It was hoped the
"Cristero' movement or so.called re-
1igious rebellion would almost tmme-
diately disappear. -.
Order Il Explained.
The orders looking toward turning
the churches back to the priests were
issued by the department Of interior,
which instructed governors Of all states
to list all Catholic churches In their
domains with the names OF the COM
nittee Of Practitioners in charge and
such other Information regarding them
As IL available. The wish to take in
ventory of churches and their condi-
fNxn a{1 n q a Al nPA0T
/ It was said representatives Of the
government would confer with the
prelates tomorrow over the form In
which the churches would be given back
into the clerics' charge. Archbishop
Ruiz will issue . circular Monday In
connection with the return. It was
believed mass would be said, after the
first service at Guadalupe, in the Mexico
City churches, delay in other parts OF
Guilty In transporting priests there.
The department of interior in its
orders releasing woman religious prison.
ers. numbering nearly 100, at Las Tres
Marias, excluded Mother Conception,
who Is under q 20-year sentence In con-
necticn with the assassination OF Gen.
Oregon.
orders were issued to each Of the
| states to cease making arrests for vio-
| lease Of 50 religious prisoners at Mexico
City.
THESE included, among others, Padre
Modesto Chaves Pulido, arrested some
time ago in Jaliso and brought here.
| Innrnixration authorities were notified
| to permit return Of all priests wishing
to come back to their parishes.
Archbishop's Statement.
Archbishop Ruiz, in commenting on
! the settlement, said: Il consider this as
| the beginning OF q real era OF peace
| for the republic, which will without
doubt feel the benedictions which coms
| together with harmony and the close
union Of q whole nation with its gov
| ernment." =
President Portes GiI's statement an
nouncing the accord said he had
| had conversations with the two bishops
who had told him the Catholic hier-
arcl1y was animated by sincere pa
triotisn. He then said the govern
ment had no wish to threaten the
troll of its spiritual ofaces. The state
| ment clarified the religious laws IN
three details, with q statement they
had been misunderstood, this clari6ca-
ton being the basis upon which the
prelates agreed to resume church
| services.
The Mexican press today hailed par
tial settlement Of the national religious
controversy. approving enthusiastically
| the agreement.
lei Universal said: TT amounts to O
definite triumph Of freedom OF thought
and does not represent victory for any
body but rather logical accord which
grasses lamentable differences
The paper added the government had
consolidated its position on founda-
| ton Of material peace and prestige
which the solution of the three-year-old
problem had given 1t. It believed new
Of welfare. well earned tranquility end
possible economic development"
Excelsior said the church and state,
without losing sight Of the decoriinn Of
| each, had reached q frank and honor
| able accord, with both convinced the
controversy was due to misinterpre-
| tations.
Morrow Aided Negotiations.
settlement Of the three year-old con
troversy between the Mexican govern
| leo has been brought about to o large
extent through the efforts OF American
Ambassador Dwight W. Morrow.
Two American Catholics had an I'M
portant share In the work. They are
Rev. DR.. Edward A. walsh, vice presi-
dent Of Georgetown University of wash
ington. who has been in Mexico for the
past six weeks working on the problem,
and Father John j. Burke Of the Ma
tional Catholic welfare Conference Of
washington, sent to Mexico April 4,
1928, by Bishop Fumasoni Biondi, then
apostolic delegate in washington.
Senior Miguel Cruchasa Tocornsl,
former Chilean Ambassador In wash
ington, co-operated with DR.. Edmund
Walsh throughout the work.
The controversy between the Mexican
government and the Catholic Church in
Mexico came to o head on August 1.
1926, when, under instructions from
the Mexican episcopate, priests through
out the nation abandoned the churches
in protest against the enforcement of
laws governing religious activities.
The government took over the church
buildings and placed them In charge Of
laynen, but without priests no services
could he conducted causing one Of Mex