Calles Retires

Peace is a comparative term in Mexico. Last week occurred a battle between Federal troops and Catholic rebels in the town of Mexticac%#225;n, Jalisco. Some 50 rebels were killed, 50 more wounded. Nevertheless, President Portes Gil continued to consider Peace fully restored to his country. Final figures were published about the revolution--4,000 dead, 11,000 wounded, over 50 million dollars damage. And the country's strong man, Plutarco Elias Calles, was allowed to hand back the Ministry of War to General Joaquin Amaro, whose temporary resignation at the beginning of the revolution was blamed on an injury to his eye. General Amaro's eye was reported fully recovered but just in case it should go bad again, President Portes Gil persuaded General Calles not to go off, as he had planned, on a European vacation this summer. Also, though Peace was thoroughly restored, a regiment of Mexican soldiers were assigned "as a courtesy" to escort U. S. Ambassador Morrow to the Texas border on his way home to give his daughter in marriage to U. S. Hero Lindbergh.

In a long statement to the press, General Calles reviewed his work as a leader of the "Grand Revolutionary Party."* He praised the party for the social and economic advances it had made, criticised it for political backwardness, as follows:

"The chief failure so far in the Mexican system has been in the matter of local government. The people frequently regard the local officials as unfairly chosen, which results in a nation-wide political inertia.

"The army is now a true organic institution. It is my suggestion that hereafter whenever any military leader enters politics he shall first place his forces at the disposal of the government.--"

P:Such unaccustomed calm had descended upon Mexico City last week that 7,000 students of the University of Mexico were able to attract attention by a riot, in protest against monthly examinations, in which only two bystanders were shot.

*The party now in power got there by the revolution of 1919.