Show Pr Prehistoric historic Sacrifices in Mexico Appear Re Responsible for Crime There MEXICO CITY Nov 16 18 SS- SS SS Crime in the United States may be traced raced to the gangster Influence but butin butin in n Mexico it is the old Aztec gods who appear to be responsible for high hiSh figures figures fig fig- ures in crime statistics An investigation of Mexican crime started in 1929 1920 Is be beginning inning to yield facts and figures The government council for crime prevention has now analyzed some cases of assaults with dangerous weapons in this cit city The council is headed by Alberto M. M Gonzales former supreme court mag mag- istrate The staff includes Dr Manuel Manuel Man Man- uel Gamio noted Mexican anthropologist anthro anthro- Mexico City with a population of about a million appears to have a greater amount of crime than many cities of similar size in foreign n coun coun- tries Dr Gamio believes that this may be due to an Indian inheritance from Spanish pre times when human sacrifices to the gods were were common and there was even greater familiarity familiar familiar- ity lly with and contempt for death than now Mexico is domInantly Indian and and particularly so is the lower class classI I which figures largely in the crimes Crime statistics have not taken racial factors into consideration in the past in m Mexico but Dr states that future studies will give more attention attention atten atten- tion to these factors Of assaults In the city about 24 per cent were with cutting instruments Instruments ments and less than 2 per cent with pistols This is one indication on ac ae cording to Dr Gamio that the crim come comae from poorer classes which cannot afford expensive firearms Most Host of the crimes arc are trac traceable able to centers of degeneracy In the city About 21 per cent of the attacks with weapons were traced to drunkenness drunkenness drunk drunk- enness 17 per cent to Insults 14 It Percent per percent percent cent to futile utile causes I 1 10 0 per cent to jealousy and less than 2 per cent toI to robbery The victims were divided I about equally among the attackers attackers' friends relatives and strangers About 40 per cent of the victims were women a proportion much higher high i er or than in most countries and a fact which Dr Gamio links with the still unfavorable status of women in I Mexico Five times as many women living without wedlock than married women were among the injured Com Corn on on this Dr Gamio observed that hat more than h half u the marital unions In n Mexico are not legal |