Evening star., 1935-02-03
BORAH WILL PRESS
MEXICAN INQUIRY
Senator Undeterred by Criti.
cism of Proposed Probe
of Situation.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Senator William L. Borah, con-
Vinced that the persons and property
OF American citizens are involved, Is
prepared to press for favorable action
on his resolution to investigate the
alleged anti-religious campaign Of the
present government Of Mexico.
Instead of being daunted. by criti-
cism of his proposal to have the SEN
ate Foreign Relations Committee go
into the whole situation and to have
this Government take action If neces-
sary, the Idaho Senator insists that
the evidence warrants q thorough in
vestigation.
If the State Department Is prepared
to deal with the matter, Borah said
last night, he Is perfectly willing to
have it do so. 1t has been indicated
that the State Department looks
askance at the Borah resolution, on the
ground that the handling of foreign
affairs Is its own job. On the other
hand, if the State Department Is not
willing to proceed, Borah wants his
resolution acted upon favorably.
Meeting on Wednesday.
The next regular meeting Of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
is scheduled for Wednesday. 1t is
not unlikely, Borah said, that he will
postpone asking for consideration Of
his resolution until the following
| week. He may wish more time to
put the entire story into proper shape
for presentation.
To those critics who charge Borah
with inconsistency because he voted
against American adherence to the
World Court and then proposed to
look into the domestic affairs of Mex
leo, the Senator replied:
My interest In this matter (re-
hgious persecution in Mexico) has
been by reason of evidence furnished
me that Americans are being NAL
| treated and deprived of their prop
erty and also by the fact that thou
| sands OF refugees are being driven
across the Mexican border and are
| now being taken care of by American
communities.
"Of course, If American citizens
were not involved in it, the situation
would be different. But so long as
they are. We have the right to know
the facts concerning their treatment.
It's another case of the underdog.
Some stories brought to me are fear
full, and I have no reason to doubt
the facts.
Defends His Racord
II have just as consistent a record
for protecting American citizens in
Mexico as on anything else. have
been doing it for 20 years"
Borah said the United States Gov
ernment in the past has not hesitated
to look into conditions existing in
other nations, even though American
| citizens were not involved. He men
toned resolution offered by Daniel
Webster in 1923, during the trouble
between Turkey and Greece, when the
Turks were prosecuting the Greeks.
The President of the United States
at that time took up the matter,
Borah said. Webster, then a Senator,
took the stand that common humanity
demanded an investigation Of the
facts and some effort to alleviate con.
ditions. He said, in reply to the
question, What can the United States
do?" that it was not necessary to 60
to war, but that public opinion, once
aroused, was more powerful than
arms.
Second Precedent Cited.
Another case cited by Borah also
involved Webster, then Secretary Of
State. Hungary was seeking freedom
from Austria and President Taylor
sent an agent Of this Government into
the country to report on all the facts.
The Austrian charge d'affaires warned
that this agent might run the risk of
being treated as spy. Webster wrote
a strong letter in which he said that
no nation had the right to take
umbrage because the United States
was seeking to ascertain facts.
Where the people of the United
States see the people of foreign ma
ton moving toward the adoption Of
institutions like their own," said
Webster, "it cannot be expected of
them that they remain wholly indif-
ferent spectators"
Refugee Army Large.
Borah said that he did not propose
to go so tar as Webster: that he was
basing his demand for an investiga-
tion wholly on the fact that American
citizens are being maltreated In the
evidence presented to him are pictures
showing the activity against people
who carry on religious worship. It
has been reported to Borah that the
number Of refugees who have come
into this country from Mexico runs as
high as 100000.
When the matter of the Mexican
inquiry was originally presented to
Senator Borah it was proposed that
the resolution provide for the break
ing of Of diplomatic relations with
Mexico. The Idaho Senator toned
the resolution down somewhat before
he introduced it. It has the backing
Of several other Senators, including
Walsh of Massachusetts,. who is taking
an active interest in it.