Hysteria

The Calles Government betrayed a not unnatural jumpiness last week, while Secretary Kellogg was whooping up his "Red Mexico" scare in Washington (see p. 6). President Plutarcho Calles knew, and has admitted publicly, that if the U. S. should withdraw its embargo on arms' shipments into Mexico a new revolution would detonate his regime overnight. Therefore, since it could not be known at Mexico City that President Coolidge was not really going to lift the embargo, the Calles Government committed several hysterical acts:

Bishop Arrested. Since the Primate of Mexico, Archbishop Jose Mora y delRio, is an old and feeble man (TIME, July 26 et seq.) the real head of the Episcopate is its Secretary, Bishop Pasquale Diaz of Tabasco, a pure-blooded Mexican Indian, a smiling but doughty fighter against the anti-religious laws. During the crucial hours of last week Bishop Diaz expressed himself in fervent unbridled fashion to members of the informal U. S. investigating committee now touring Mexico. Apparently the Calles Government was thereby stampeded into the rash act of arrresting Bishop Diaz, and concealing the place of his detention. This served only to make the Bishop a subject for rumor, mystery, speculation, sympathy. . . .

Decoy Revolution. Equally rash was a proclamation of revolution in Mexico by a band of little known men supposed to be Mexican Knights of Columbus, but suspected of being decoy agents of the Calles regime. One Rene Capistran Garza proclaimed himself "Provisional President of Mexico," though he remained in hiding; and the whole movement which claimed to be supported by onetime under "Generals" of Pancho Villa loomed ridiculous. The Government rashly made this "revolt" an excuse for terrorism in the interior.

Tongue Gouged. At Mexico City a leading newspaper, Excelsior, reported the "Calles terror" as hysterically as it had flayed "Coolidge hypocrisy" the day before. Cried an editorial:

"Shootings are the order of the day through all the Republic. We can cite a number of cases which prove our statements, but we shall refer to only one, that in the city of Leon in the State of Guanajuato, which, for cruel, barbarous, inhuman and unjust treatment, has sown the most profound discontent throughout the republic. . . .

"There a rebel band of youths of good family was seized by the authorities, who found the lads unarmed but hustled them off to execution in the public square. Before the preliminaries to the execution were arranged, one young boy started to cry. His companion, Valencia Gallardo, a boy less than 20 years old, showing great courage, tried to console his companion and called to him in a loud voice to pray to God for help and comfort.

"This advice on the part of Gallardo caused the police to become indignant and, seizing the boy, they deliberately cut out his tongue before placing him in front of the firing squad. . . ."

When the Kellogg scare seemed guttering at Washington last week, despatches reported less hysteria in Mexico.