Interference

When Mexico's Plutarco Calles and his National Revolutionary Party nominate a man for President, all the world knows that that man will be elected. There was no doubt that closemouthed, mustached General Lazaro Cardenas would be the next President when the Party formally nominated that Calles henchman in December. But in the dusty village of Nicolas Romero in the State of Mexico last week there was one man who refused to accept the inevitable.

Adalberzo Tejeda's word is all but law in the oil-rich coastal State of Veracruz. He subscribes to the "regular" Mexican politics of Socialism and atheism, but he is drastic and immediate about it. In 1932, as Governor of Veracruz, he pushed through the State Legislature a law subjecting "property rights of all classes of possessions ... to enforced expropriation for reasons of social utility, with indemnification." At this great grab even Calles' Federal politicians were appalled. They ordered Tejeda to back down. He pondered the law. finally changed the word "social" to "public" and signed it. It took Calles' men six months to get him out of office and make his law a dead-letter. Whereupon some 15,000 poor Veracruz farmers armed themselves and went to war against the Government. Boss Calles began to suspect that Senor Tejeda was a troublemaker. He knew it when Tejeda resigned from the National Revo lutionary Party, announced that he was a candidate for President and roved out of his home State to stump all Mexico. All the citizens of Nicolas Romero were on hand last week to hear him speak, though they knew the candidate from Veracruz had no chance of being elected. But Tejeda's hard bitten face and manner notably lacked the routine apathy of a Mexican Opposition candidate. Hoarsely he ranted on about the Government's "treachery against the proletariat." On the platform lolled 25 of his red-shirted Left Socialist stalwarts. On the outskirts of the crowd 100 "regular" Party men eyed Tejeda coldly, fingered their revolvers. Suddenly they could stand no more. Bang, bang! Tejeda's jaw froze. He ducked. The 25 stalwarts leaped to their feet. Bang, bang! Tejeda turned, sprinted for cover. The 25 turned with him. sprinted into the line of fire. Tejeda dodged and twisted from door to pillar. The 25 dodged and twisted with him. Bang, bang! Nicks suddenly appeared in the plaster wall beside Tejeda who ducked back. Shouting, running, stopping and fir ing, the 100 "regulars" came on in fierce pursuit. But always a dodging, criss crossing screen of men ran between them and Tejeda. The town of Nicolas Romero was suddenly the field for a sinister football game. Tejeda's life was the ball and he carried it for all he was worth. His 25 stalwarts were the interference, doing the blocking and taking-out, making up their formations as they went along. Finally Tejeda ducked through a door to safety. Behind him on the pavements of Nicolas Romero lay 20 members of his political team, blood oozing from their bullet wounds.

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