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church bells in the state to
be
rung, and three thousand churches
tolled out the glory of the Aztec
king. Senora Guzman was show–
ered with congratulations from
every part of the country, those
from women's organizations being
especially enthusiastic. The Order
of Cuatemoc was instituted, and
the archreologist was at once dec–
orated with it. A few days later,
Ichcateopan, a town of some two
thousand inhabitants, was named
the state capital for a day; over
seventeen thousand people travelled
to the "Sanctuary of the Nation";
among the day's ceremonies was
the celebration of a high mass in
memory of Cuatemoc. Senora Guz–
man was missed at these festivities.
They looked everywhere for her;
at last a close friend of hers ex–
plained that, in her modesty, she
had disappeared so that Cuatemoc
could receive the people's undivid–
ed homage.
An unbelievable number of
speeches were made.
A deputy declared that "Cuate–
moc represents the human dignity
of the Mexican people," and a
Senator was of the opinion that
at Ichcateopan "has arisen the
highest pinnacle of the glory of
our nation." In Mexico City, forty
thousand school children brought
flowers to decorate the statue of
Cuatemoc, and a Government rep–
resentative informed them that
"the Aztecs were a mightier race
than their conquerors."
A few days later, the Senate
voted to erect a monument to the
king, and approved the founda–
tion of a National Committee to
Honor Cuatemoc. The monument
is to be raised on a mountain
peak as the only place "fitting for
the greatness of Cuatemoc." Re–
presentatives of every province will
assemble to deposit there a handful
of the earth of their native vil–
lages. There is talk of founding
a provincial college, but the citi–
zens of Ichcateopan ask only that
they be given electricity, a water
system, and a school.
A popular belief has material–
ized, no one quite knows from
where, that eight people will doubt
the authenticity of the bones and
will consequently die. Already two
are believed to have fulfilled the
prophecy: Father Cuevas, an aged
and eminent historian, and the
young scholar, Salvador Toscano,
Secretary of the National Institute
of Anthropology, who died in an
airplane accident the day after the
discovery.
Cuatemoc
The Spaniards entered Tenoch–
titIan without fighting and took
Montezuma prisoner in the most
courteous possible way. All would
have gone smoothly had it not been
for the brutal act of one of the
captains of Cortez, committed in
the absence of his commander.
This man, Pedro de Alvarado,
