The Power and Glory (Chapter 1-2 pgs: 7-30)

This Book written by Graham Greene is one of much complexity. There are two things that make it hard to understand which are some of the words and the fact that advancing to the second chapter just makes the problem bigger but there is a great mistery surrounding everything.
In the first chapter, we have the perception of Mr. Tench who is a dentist living in Mexico, in a very wrecked town. There is an doubt I have and this is if Tench is American or British. We know he is not mexican because he says so, but when he asks the stranger is he english, that is typical for a Brit to do. The word american referring to the people from the US exists from long ago and if this man were and american, he probably would have asked if the priest was american. Later on, Tench is meandering in his thoughts and thinks about the US and wants to be there but he knows that the town he is in is his home, so this makes it all even more confusing. I made an analogy but after ending chapter two because in the first part there is a description of the town having vultures on the roofs looking over them. After knowing that the town had heavy conflict and was invaded with army I thought to my self, why wouldn't the vultures be the same soldiers which never look away and are always there looking over them? Maybe the vultures are a way for Greene to show us that the town is a mess and vultures know death rounds the place so they have to be there awaiting for their next meal. I believe my first interpretation is much more open to future events.
It is pretty weird that Tench had invited this stranger just because he wanted him to wait in his home while the boat left. Nobody would do such a thing for good nature, and less when the person is in fact a stranger. After chapter two you understand that this man was a priest and now the invitation has more meaning. Priests get invited everywhere because people like to talk to them, for them to bless their homes and lives, etc. This priest is kind of a drunk because he carries a bottle of brandy around and is the first thing he takes away before leaving to help the kid's mother. He even forgets his book written in latin because he was a little tipsy and was angry at Tench for treating the situation the way he did.
In chapter two we learn that priests and those in higher ranks are being murdered by a group called the Red Shirts but with the presence of the army. The lieutenant was present during the killing of the monsignor. This makes me wonder if the Red Shirts are a group, or are really a militia that is part of the government. I don't understand what bastards these men are. First the governor for ordering all priests to get married and second the lieutenant and the chief for contemplating the idea of killing the people who wouldn't rattle out on the stranger priest. We really don't know from where are these two soldiers because they get a lot of mixed feelings, so their nationality would be another great thing to find out.