The  Constitution  contains  still  another  clause  that
seems  to  carry  the  possibility  of  abuse  in  relation  to  the
personal  and  property  rights  of  foreigners,  though  it
has  not  appeared  prominently  in  the  discussions  thus
far  raised.  The  right  to  live  in  Mexico  is  subordinated
to  the  powers  of  the  executive  "in  so  far  as  relates  to  the
limitations  imposed  by  law  in  regard  to  emigration,  im-
migration, and  the  public  health  of  the  country,  or  in  re-
gard to  undesirable  foreigners  resident  in  the  coun-
try," 12  and  "the  Executive  shall  have  the  exclusive  right
to  expel  from  the  Republic  forthwith,  and  without  judi-
cial process,  any  foreigner  whose  presence  he  may  deem
inexpedient."

Similar  clauses  are  not  unknown  in  the  legislation  of
other  countries  and  the  exercise,  within  reasonable

12  Article  11.  l3  Article  33.
266    MEXICO  AND  ITS  RECONSTRUCTION

limits,  of  such  a  right  is  not  properly  questioned.  If,
however,  the  executive  should  undertake  in  pursuance  of
an  anti-foreign  program,  to  make  continued  residence
conditional  on  the  surrender  of  the  rights,  which  the  for-
eigner enjoys  under  international  law,  such  action  could
not  fail  to  arouse  protest  on  the  part  of  the  states  whose
nationals  were  involved.  The  exercise  of  the  "exclu-
sive" right  of  the  executive  to  expel  "without  judicial
process"  any  resident  foreigner  whose  presence  in  the
country  "he  may  deem  inexpedient"  or  "undesirable"  is
one,  the  exercise  of  which  can  not  be  arbitrary.  If  it
were  so,  the  property  and  personal  rights  of  those  whom
Mexico  has  "virtually  invited  to  spend  their  wealth  and
energy  within  its  borders"  l*  would  practically  be  beyond
the  effective  protection  of  the  law.  No  self-respecting
country  could  permit  itself  to  accept  such  a  standard.
