Mexican Discord

On one sultry August afternoon, the denizens of Mexico City were startled by the clatter of horses and the tramp, tramp, tramp of feet. With curious eyes, they watched detachments of police, armed with shining Mauser rifles, surround Congressional Hall.

Inside the building, there sat, as the Electoral Congress, the Permanent Commission and the Deputies unopposed at the last election (TIME, July 21). They were there to examine the credentials of the newly-elected Deputies.

The parade of armed force was necessary, according to the civil and military authorities, because of much high feeling between the adherents of President-elect Gen. P. Elias Calles and those of Gen. Angel Flores on the one hand; between the Agrarians and Laborites, both supporters of Gen. Calles, on the other.

The Floristas admitted that they were beaten in the polling, but charged that the Callistas had broken ballot boxes and prevented them from voting. There was a possibility, it was said, that the Floristas might form a small Chamber of Deputies of their own for the purpose of calling upon President Obregon and upon the public for fair play in the matter of selections by the Electoral Congress.

The trouble between the Agrarians and the Laborites was that they were --both trying to put their own candidates into office, both claiming the honor of having made the election of Calles possible. This factionalism split the Callistas and gave rise to expectations of riotous demonstrations.