Nationalists Rampant

Ominous developments clouding the Mexican horizon last week:

Deportations Begun. Without issuing previous warnings, the Attorney General of Mexico ordered the arrest and deportation of all priests who are not native Mexicans. A few hours later Mexican soldiers marched into numerous churches, seized the officiating clergy, marched them off to jail without so much as allowing them to change their vestments or obtain personal belongings from their homes.

Twenty-four hours after the order was issued, 14 Spanish priests were en route to Spain forcibly deported from Vera Cruz aboard the steamship Espagne. Despatches reported that three Irish priests were seized at Mexico City, but that most of those arrested were Spanish. Sister Margaret Semple, a U. S. citizen, principal of the Roman Catholic Visitation Academy for girls at Mexico City, formally complained to Ambassador Sheffield and declared that the Mexican authorities have warned her that she must cease her educational activities or expect to be deported immediately.

Late despatches asserted that no explanation of these acts had been made public by the Calles Government. Meanwhile Mexican soldiers seized "all movable or immovable property owned by priests either openly or in the names of other individuals." Senor Tejada, Secretary of the Interior, refused to be interviewed by correspondents. Said he: "We are not going to talk any more but are going to act."

Observers noted that the present Mexican constitution requires that clergymen of all denominations shall be native-born Mexicans. Presumably this clause is now being enforced for the first time at the behest of the extreme Nationalists.

Deportation Halted. At Washington the Board of Review of the Department of Labor ordered suspended for one year the deportation proceedings (TIME, Feb. 15) against the Mexican General, Francisco Coss, who was recently arrested and imprisoned at San Antonio, Tex., for overstaying his passport in the U. S. General Coss is an enemy of President Calles and a onetime supporter of Huerta. One of his former subordinates was recently deported by the U. S. into Mexico for similar reasons and immediately shot by Calles' troops after what amounted to a mock trial.

Note, Reply. Ambassador Sheffield delivered a U. S. note again protesting the recently enacted Mexican land and oil laws (TIME, Jan. 25), which the U. S. Government holds to be retroactive, confiscatory and in violation of the U. S. Mexican agreement of 1923, on the basis of which the U. S. recognized the present Mexican regime.

Later in the week despatches reported that the Mexican Government had sent a note in reply, reiterating its former position that Mexico will stand pat on what she believes to be her rights to enact and enforce this legislation.

Departure. Colonel Henry M. Anderson, U. S. agent before the Special Claims Commission charged with adjusting the claims made by U. S. citizens arising out of the various disturbances and revolutions in Mexico since 1910, abruptly left Mexico City for Washington last week.