Revolt by Telephone

In search of the much-touted, often-postponed Mexican Revolution of 1940, correspondents last week began painfully trekking down to Chiapas, the primitive, mountainous State adjoining Guatemala. Previous Almazan revolutions have had substance chiefly in reports telephoned to Mexico City, presumably by nerve-warring Almazanistas. But this time President Lazaro Cardenas refused to accept assurances from the Governor of Chiapas, General Antonio Rios Zertuche, that the Governor had no knowledge of an up rising. He was ordered by the President to leave Chiapas at once and take over as Governor of Sonora, at the extreme opposite end of Mexico, adjoining Arizona.

Armchair strategists wondered if the Chiapas trouble was a feint to draw Government strength from the North, where Almazanismo is stronger. Watchful President Cardenas sent his stanch supporter, General Jesus Gutierrez Casares, down to Chiapas to find out. General Manuel Avila Camacho, who will succeed General Cardenas as President on Dec.1, postponed his scheduled departure for Washington until the revolt spread or dried up.

While he put his back yard in order Lazaro Cardenas also had an explanation to rr:..:e concerning relations with his big next-door neighbor. He called in a batch of U. S. correspondents to explain some misunderstandings about the now-you-see-it-now-you-don't embargo on mercury shipments to Japan. There had never been any embargo, the President said. Export of mercury and molybdenum was suspended while the Government investigated reports that shipments of the metals had been smuggled in from the U. S. When the reports proved false, export was resumed. Although the President failed to mention it, the truth is that large quantities of such war materials as mercury, molybdenum, antimony and tungsten are in the hands of private traders in Mexico, who would be hard hit by an embargo. Oil and scrap iron, practically Government monopolies, will stay on the restricted list, as a gesture of friendship to the U. S.

"Definite and satisfactory settlement of all pending questions" between Mexico and the U. S. will soon be made, President Cardenas announced as his Ambassador to the U. S., Francisco Castillo Najera, flew back to his post. The President mentioned naval and air bases "directed by Mexicans." This was a broad hint that Dr. Castillo Najera's mission had been successful, that before Lazaro Cardenas retires to his cow farm on Dec. 2, the U. S. and Mexico will have embarked on a joint defense program as sweeping as that between the U. S. and Canada.

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