Show MEXICANS STUDY Church Struggle Is ComI Compared Com Corn I pared to Russian Anti Anti- 17 7 C Christian h r i s t i a n. n Attacks By DREW PEARSON i r Written for The Telegram I WASHINGTON Dj II C. C Aug 7 New v light may be shed on the rev re- re re-I re v controversy In Mexico by bythe byh h J the recent disclosure that six sixt t l d months before the antichurch laws vs nt Into missi mis- mis Went effect a Mexican i si slon n sailed secretly for Russia to study soviet methods o of separating f r and state This together 1 with the recent protest from J daIs of the American Federation of ot i. i Labor charging radical communism comm I on the part of or the tho Mexican gov- gov Ov- Ov 1 seems to place the Mexican Mex- Mex M x- x 1 lean ican rel religious lous struggle definitely In Inthe i the category of the soviet campaign cam cam- which annihilated the Russian Rus Rus- sInn sian Orthodox church hur h and the Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese nee boycott of or Christianity In Russia II as In Mexico a small m ll but powerful handful of radicals found that the only means of keeping themselves In power was Wits to convert the great masses s of ot Ignorant ignorant Ig- Ig peasantry to socialism The chief obstacle in the path o of conversIon con- con versIon was the church The peas- peas I v ants had confidence In the church and communism set act out to destroy that confidence Ukraine From the to the Amur therefore Russia Russil was plastered with posters which the Illiterate peas peasants could understand Priests were portra portrayed ed as friends J of ot the czar as all tyrants who h had d dc c robbed the people and a as of great hidden bIdden wealth The church W were re seized by the state and stripped of or c candlesticks images and altar cloths KNOCKED THE CHURCH Bolshevik officials took pains to knock the church In every every public address addres th they y made This correspondent correspondent corre corre- once heard commander of ot the tac so soviet soviet so- so viet troops in Siberia iberia address a crowd of peasants In Old Admiral Stark he s said ld re referrIng referring re- re ferring to to- the general of ot the opposing OPO in ing arm army talks too much of Jesus Christ If It he talked less of Jesus Christ and more about bread for tor forthe forthe the bellies of his men he would have a. a I. I better arm army But no man n who believes In Jesus Christ Is a good soldier The Chinese e campaign against Christianity like the Mexican was wasi i partly aimed at foreigners Al Although Although Al- Al though Mexico is perhaps the oldest oldest old- old c est stron stronghold hold of Catholicism In the new world It has never conducted a a- seminary for native Mexican priests and most of oJ Its priesthood tOda today are Spanish and Italian So als also in China the ministers of Christian churches are American British and French j CHINESE METHODS Last summer r In China this correspondent cor- cor 7 H respondent witnessed an attack against Christianity quite as bitter 7 as the Russian and arid perhaps inspired A by agents from that countr country Pictures Pic Plc- tures of the Christ were portra portrayed ed smoking an opium pipe with ith the I legend Jesus Christ and opium j I have ruined China Another antl antI ChrIstian pamphlet which was freely freely free tree ly h circulated throughout Chinas China's read Christianity maintains that J Jesus sU Is the Son of God but ever everyone one knows that He lie was as really tin fin illegitimate child Just as Lung Tsal Tsai Kwong's soldiers used to force young girls to gratify tl- tl fy jy their desires de so Jesus came Into the world orld NO PERSON ATTACK While the Mexican religious feud has been without the bitter personal personal per per- attack on Christ and the priesthood the restrictions placed d upon the church and th the freedom of t the priests has all al althe the rigor of the soviet let campaign Priests are prohibited from voting are not eli eligible to Office and cannot be beren ren to congress They ca cannot cannot can can- 1 not criticize their government or orV V discuss politics even in private Religious publications may not en engage engage engage en- en gage in political discussion Priests may not wear their priestly garb outside the church Monastic or orders orders orders or- or ders are prohibited N No religious associations ma may own real redl estate state No Xo priest st may Inherit any property ever connected with the church All churches are the property of the nation as well as bishops bishops' residences res resi dences parish houses colleges college Convents convents Con con- vents and other rell religious lous buildings s. s New ew churches may be opened only with r permission of the government which shall regulate the number of ct churches In each Ch district Finally no rio priest shall be allowed wed the right of trial by j Jury ry for violating any of ot these provisions provision but shall be summarily fined or imprisoned a |