Troubles Scotched

The week was the most hopeful in many months for Mexico. Events:

Reply to Coolidge. In Mexico City, President Plutarco Elias Calles called in newsgatherers who found his heavy, brown features alight. He pointed with honest satisfaction to the Spanish translation of a paragraph from President Calvin Coolidge's speech a fortnight ago before the United Press Convention in Manhattan. In their original English, the words of President Coolidge read:

"I am glad to report that the Mexican Ambassador has recently declared to me that she [Mexico] does not intend to confiscate our property, that she has shown diligence in capturing and punishing those who have murdered our citizens, and expressed the wish, which we so thoroughly entertain, of keeping cordial and friendly relations."

President Calles commented "Ahhh. . ." rumbling the syllables complacently. Then he spoke for 20 minutes. Excerpts:

"The attitude of President Coolidge seems to me to be serene, cordial and conciliatory. ... As I have clearly said before, in the entire range of the revolutionary policy of Mexico and its expression, in the laws, there is no spirit or proposition of confiscation. . . ."

From this observers felt that Peace would be between Mexico and the U. S. for many a moon. The days (TIME, Jan. 24) when "Red" was the Coolidge Administration's adjective for Mexico are over.

"Bloody Trail." A band of outlaws believed to be the same as those who attacked with frightful butchery the Guadalajara-Mexico City Express (TIME, May 2) attempted to repeat this outrage last week, upon a Juarez-Mexico City train.

The events of last week's hold-up were told by General Amarillas in an official report to President

Calles:

"Four kilometres from Salas, a gang of Catholic extremists attacked my train which traveled ahead of the Juarez passenger train. The fight lasted half an hour and the enemy fled when they noticed they were attacking a military instead of a passenger train.

"They abandoned ten dead, and 20 horses and carried off many wounded, judging by the bloody trail they left."

Dictator Appointed. President Calles conferred upon Finance Minister De Occa last week, what were described as "the powers of a financial dictator." Reason: to keep on good terms with the U. S. and meet payments owed to U. S. interests, it will be necessary for the Mexican treasury to postpone temporarily payments on the internal debt.

Illicit Farewell. News organs in Mexico City were incensed last week at the act of an overscrupulous policeman who forcibly separated one Senor G. D. de Orihuela from his wife, as they were vigorously embracing in a public place. "We were waiting for a street car," said Senora de Orihuela. "My husband was about to leave me for some time."

Subsequently she appealed to the Attorney General of the Federal District for redress, declaring: "If a kiss between husband and wife is illegal, the law is not consistent with the liberalism now prevailing in Mexico."