No Swinging Doors

More and more stringent grow the drink laws of teetotaling Emilio Portes Gil, President of Mexico. Those who believed that his temperance campaign would be merely a "plan of persuasion and education against drink" were shaken by a bill he signed last week. By it the police were empowered to close instantly and forever any saloon, cabaret or liquor shop where "scandalous conduct" is reported. Worried publicans bit their nails in anxiety over what the police might consider "scandalous conduct."

Another, still more stringent bill was reported under consideration, designed to make drinking in Mexico as unattractive as possible.

Premises where drinks are served must have:

Counters at least one and a half meters high (five feet), out of reach of any but the tallest barflies' elbows.

No tables or chairs for leisurely drink-sipping.

No free lunch counters, nor "the usual conveniences such as now found in all saloons."

Plain whitewashed walls devoid of all barroom art.

No swinging doors. All street doors must be open so that passers-by may see the drinkers within.

P: Mexico's religious "problem" moved another step nearer solution last week with the Vatican's appointment of Archbishop Leopoldo Ruiz y Flores as Apostolic Delegate to negotiate with President Portes Gil (TIME, May 27).

From unofficial sources it was said that the following points of agreement had already been reached between Mexican Church and State:

Re-establishment of schools to educate future priests and nuns.

The Church to recognize government ownership of church property, so long as the Church remains official custodian of the same.