It is my pleasure to introduce this afternoons speaker for this seasons final washington history seminar. Director and oxford. He received his doctorate in history from Harvard University and is the author of the war ,hat brought peace to mexico world war ii and the consolidation of postrevolutionary state. Published by the university of new mexico press in 2014. Dr. Jones is timothy had positions at Harvard DavidRockefeller Center for that american studies and the office of the historian of the state department where he coedited the Foreign Relations for the United States volumes covering u. S. Policy toward latin america during the next and, ford, and carter administration. Onay he will be speaking crimes against securities of a nation, world war ii, the cold war, and the evolution of mexicos antisubversion laws. Mr. Jones. Jones thank you very much indeed for the introduction of for all of you for being here. Its a pleasure to be back in washington. I did spend a very rewarding few years here in bc after graduate and the state department. So is nice to have a chance to get back. Its a real privilege to be part of the program for the spring washington history seminar series. Its a great lineup that you have had. Looks like a great lineup you i have in the fall so it is an honor for me to be a part of the program. Thanks to roger lewis who among other distinctions as an honorary fellow where im based and has played a big part in encouraging linkages between the college and the washington history seminar program. It is something that he and Margaret Mcmillan our ward and have been encouraging members of college to get involved with and i hope ill be the first of many of my colleagues who will come along and join you. For those of you who might not know much is specifically about saint anthonys, its a graduate college within the university of oxford with a specialization in international various studies and modern International History. So i think i will go back certainly to my colleagues there and report to them what a great opportunity this is. Withinyou have students norway or the u. K. For research you will come around and see us. I should also acknowledge the ofport of the Institute Mexico where i had a fellowship a couple of years ago and did research on this project. I wanted to mention that of thelarly as something Mexico Institute here at the Woodrow Wilson center. I wanted to knowledge the connection there. About will be speaking today is my research into the history of antisubversion legislation that was enforced in andco between the 1940s 1960s. I will be focusing in particular on a specific controversial clause in the federal penal code. Article 145, which outlawed what is called crimes of social dissolution. I will say more over the course of the presentation about what this ominous founding term was supposed to mean. Obviously determine suggestive have a tendency to dissolve the bonds of the fabric of society. Specifically as the spreading of foreign propaganda that might tend to undermine National Security. To give an idea of where this provision sat in the body of mexican criminal law, and i thought i would mention it was in addition to the 1931 federal penal code added in 1941. And mexico as in the United States, the federal systems ordinary crimes are generally tried and state courts, but you have a more spirited class of federal crimes. In this case, social dissolution along with treason, espionage, conspiracy, rebellion, sedition, riots are all under the heading of problems against National Security. This happened throughout mexico as federal crimes and also as ordinary crimes in the Federal District which is mexico city and the sparsely populated federal territories. So that is where this was put in. Before you start to worry that im going on the verge of subjecting you to a technical and arcane presentation into the final points of mexican criminal law, i will step back i think italian about how they came to focus on this topic. And how i think the history of article 145 and the much broader themes and issues in modern mexican history and International History the history of the cold war. My interest in the history of the social dissolution clause arose during the course of my research on the impact of world war ii on the project that resulted in my recently published book on the subject as mentioned in the introduction. In my book i argue that despite the distance between mexico and the battlefront, wartime conditions facilitated the consolidation of the postrevolutionary regime. The crisis atmosphere the early to makellow president successful appeals for national unity. Tapering over many of the factual disputes that had characterized mexican politics over the preceding decades. It served as a justification for an expansion of the powers of the state. So National Conscription is introduced for the first time, literally cant literacy campaigns launched specifically in the name of strengthening National Defense by building a more educated citizenry. Intelligence services are expanded. The effectiveness of some of an undeniable trend toward expansion of state powers. Something i discovered as i worked on the book, i dont plan this is an original discovery, but it was news to me i got me thinking. Was the fact that and i will discuss it later, the social dissolution cause had its origin in 1941, very much as a wartime measure. As a response to the perceived dangers arising from the International Circumstances of that moment. I found this very striking that up to that point i had been familiar with article 145 and the term social dissolution really only insofar as the appeal of the division had been one of the specific demands of the Mexican Student Movement of 1968. I found a very interesting to see how a law that had been justified as a response to the Second World War and as an antifascist measure could survive into an controversially applied primarily against leftist during the cold war. It also striking as i looked the. It but the fact during which article 145 was enforced from 19411971 is appealed, corresponds very closely with what is generally been seen as the heyday of the mexicosof mexican long Ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party or pri as it was known from 1946. I thought that correlation is worth a swing more extensively. Until recently there has been relatively little historical study of mexico after 1940. And mexico, still sometimes referred to as the. Of mexicos contemporary history. Eventsough some of the in question took place up to three quarters of a century ago. The historiography of 20thcentury mexico is focused overwhelmingly on the revolution of 1910 entry three lesser extent immediate price revolutionary decade through the presidency in the 1930s. His nationalization of the oil industry and his Extensive Program of lot land redistribution or sometimes seem to represent the combination of the revolutionary process on the east after 1910. The study of price 1940 mexico is perhaps hindered somewhat for a long time by the limited availability of sources. Thatnk also by the fact until relatively recently, the story of mexico after cardenas was seen to be more Political Science and history. There is a consolidation of the regime that when i talk about is or aroundce by 1940s. Mexican politics into a cheap to have achieved a degree of stability exceeding in many respects that of other latin american countries, giving mexican politics sort of the timeless quality which historians didnt really venture into offering analysis of the post 1940. Because it is deemed to be kind of the contemporary state of affairs in mexico. To the extent that there was a consensus historical and interpretation of mexican politics during this. , it was that mexico under the pri was the perfect dictatorship. The phrase was coined speaking about how mexico had a achieved the state of stability. To maintain the facade of democracy but maintaining a tight grip on the political system of the country. It was seen to be a system with an imperial presence. This was supposed to be particularly true of the. Between roughly the mid1940s and the late 1960s. The era of the mexican miracle, a prolonged. Of rapid and significant Economic Growth and industrialization. That is providing some material basis for the political stability that was said to have markedly. Is seenre, what 19 68 as something of a watershed. There is a sense that the priitimacy of free rule was damaged after the repression of the Student Movement in that year. It led to a further loosening of their grip on power until he fox fox the sunday fox was elected president in the year 2000. In recent years, mexicos poorest 1940 history has received much more attention from scholars. The democratic transition of 2000 and clear its encourage historians to think of the price revolutionary area as a historical. Era. There are no concerns that with someack in power access to of this file seem to be heightening again. Isuch more nuanced picture emerging from this record the party may have been successful in maintaining itself for decades, but in closer expansion it emerges that state Capacity Remains limited in important ways. Colleaguet anthonys has written, it was full of holes like swiss cheese. Role was morepri common than earlier thought. Student movement at the national 1956echnic institute in was a largely forgotten precursor to the Student Movement of 1968 and the violent nature of state repression in the countryside in particular undermines the myth. I think looking at the history cause social dissolution clouds as there is a a lot of scope to learn more about the pri regime, of this era, and looking at this close clause in the penal of theseighlight some themes. One of which i think is very important to the story is the importance of international contest. The importance of the International Conditions framework within which the pri was consolidated and during which it dominated mexico. Have begun to explore this, particularly with reference to mexicos response to the human revolution, looking more closely at the way in which mexicos position of in the International Politics of the cold war and the way in which cold war politics probated National Politics during this time. Held to showl be the history of the social dissolution clause shows how Important International illusions were and providing the justification for the enactment and application of a oppressive measures. Another reason i think this is an important topic, is it gives us a window onto the rule of the court and the judiciary in maintaining pris ruin mexico. The general view is that the party world through client tourism, patronage, and only when necessary through violent repression. I think much less has been written about how the application of the law played a part in the repressive apparatus of post revolutionary state. I think until something to about the degree i level of resistance that there was during this time and sheds light on some of the strength or the weakness of the mexican state and these are topics that are now under debate. On the one hand, obviously serve as a important tool for the regime that allowed it to suppress, but at the same time, the fact that the mexican state had to resort to this clause shows there were important instances of resistance as well. One political scientist, Evelyn Stevens wrote in 1970 who commented on this lot said paradoxical as it may seem, prosecution of suspect underwent article 145 is a confession of weakness on the part of the government. Resort to this law is tantamount to the government that is unable to control the perceived threat right and he of the other means at its command. I think there is something to that. There is a view that when this clause is applied or violent repression is employed, its a and aesort and in and sense acknowledgment to failure. At the same time i think the than that. Cated he bottom line i will get to todays that we see in a sense more than a sense of weakness is a high degree of adaptability on the part of the authoritarian price revolutionary state because it is able to evolve and to adapt to changing international and domestic political conditions. Of theing to the origins social dissolution clause. The introduction of legislation prescribing sanctions for acts of social dissolution took place in the autumn of 1941 as fierce fighting raged in europe and asia. And as expectations are rising, the western hemisphere would be drawn into the Second World War. Mexico is far removed from fighting overseas, and the government formally maintained policy neutrality, they were seem to be coming closer. The administration adopted an increasingly confrontational stance towards the axis and the government also seem to knowledge the dangers posed to Regional Security by showing a greater willingness to cooperate with the United States. At the same time, a small but growing number of mexicans called for a more active role in the world. For example, the german invasion of the soviet union in june, 1941 prompted many local elements of the left to abandon their indifference to the outcome of what they previously considered to be an inch of interimperialist struggle overseas and a call for the fetid measures in support of the antifascist cause. While most mexicans remain ambivalent to the prospect of involvement in the war, the conflict in europe and the far east cafe darkening shadow over mexico any rest of the americas by the following 1941. In theworld and larger popular consciousness and is it mexicos antiaxis dance became more defined, since grew that the country might be viable to act of sabotage into subversion, despite its sensible neutrality. It was in this context that the consideredion revisions on the penal code in 1941. The initiative called adjustment for their cause in the penal code covering espionage in a defined a new class of infraction under the heading crimes of social dissolution. The invasion and subjugation of the country and other continental had been preceded quote by a series of activities of frank social dissolution was directed by aggressor nations. Taking advantage of the Civil Liberties available in democracies, the invaders had carried out activities of propaganda to prepare morally the population or part of it for the loss of their sovereignty. With an object of assuring beforehand has 70 and even cooperation on the part of their own victim. That such an emergency might be considered far off in our country, the president maintained that quote it is useful now when we enjoy full public serenity to foresee any future possibility. Adding that he was acting to out of a desire to convert our sincere purpose of continental defense into concrete thus the rationale offered for entirely onas based circumstances prevailing outside of mexico. The International Situation created by world war ii made it possible for the Mexican Government to craft such a tool for itself. President ial initiatives attracted considerable comments and mexican press. One leading mainstream paper wholeheartedly endorsed a proposal, citing sad experience of norway, netherlands, belgium, bulgaria, romania, greece, and franklin noted reports of subversive activity in south america. To punish him and treason with nine hand to ground the fifth column answer a cradle which it were wish to raise here. The government newspaper dismissed worry and proposed changes might be used against quote those who disagree with the official opinion at a given moment. Indeed the editorial went down unless they were thinking of deliberately exceeding the constitutional limits on freedom of expression to the point of committing the grave crimes of treason that are now being defined, we do not see why some writers on political activist have to worry themselves about the inclusion of these crimes in the penal code. Outlets are more cautious, expressing some concern about the implications of the progress clause and social dissolution. Observing that while the purpose of the initiative is clear enough, the provision was marked by a certain vagueness and lack of precision which could need to the mental mistakes. A gouging the need for measures to protect the country from outside interference at a time of global crisis, the newspaper expressed the hope that legislators would be able to find the formula to conciliate order without public and private liberties. The associations president cisneros said he was colleagues believe the initiative should have been formulated as an emergency measure rather than as a permanent addition to the penal code. Interestingly, the relatively dadesrvative newspaper nove rejected this. Praising the permanent nature of the provision as one of its greatest merits. Noting that other dangers to mexican sovereignty might well arise after the defeat of totalitarianism. Des asked why mexico should not be spread to defend itself against new threats. The newspaper unwittingly foresaw how article 145 would be applied to new purposes during the postwar. General, the lodge and traded no great alarm. Calling for new legal twos meet such on for price by foreign directed conspiracies against the sovereignty of american countries. Had been an issue particularly in countries of the Southern Cone were german and italian immigrant groups were seem to have loyalties to fascist parties in europe. Confidence of the final version for the new people legislation would strike a balance between security and liberty. Even critics of the proposed