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10 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA APRIL 17, 1920 Foreign Affairs Committee Told About Mexican Fight on Religion N. C. C. M. PROGRESS Gaelic Sermons Feature St. Patricks Day in Ireland (B.v N. C. W. C. News Service.) Dublin—A feature of llic celebra tion of Saint Patrick’s Day in Dublin was the number of Catholic Churches in which prayers were recited and sermons delivered in Irish. Gaelic University Proposed. The appointment of the Dew Gov erning Body of University College, Galway, for the period 1926-1929, has again raised the question wheth er the activities of the College should be carried on entirely in Irish, and the policy of this new assembly is eagerly awaited by the world of higher education. The proposal to create an out and out Gaelic Univer sity in Galway is not by any means beyond the bounds of possibility, since about 40 percent of the inhab itants of ttie town do their business through the medium of the Inin language. Irish Dance Revival. Supported by the Rev. .Tames Flynn, S. J.. who presided, Mr. J. M. Long, an eminent authority on Irish dancing, appealed for more teaching of Irish dancing in the schools and colleges at a meeting held in the ball attached to the Jesuit Church in Gardiner Street. American-Dublin Engineer.- General approval is expressed at the arirval in Ireland from Amer ica of Dr. P. W. Sothman, to take charge of the electrical engineering work in conection with the Shannon scheme. Dr. Sothman who has been a resident of the United States for 20 years, was engaged on the con struction of the hydro-electric plant at Niagara Falls for the Government of Ontario. There is gratification that an American engineer is em ployed on so important a part of the Shannon scheme. Established 1899 Jesse B. Hart & Bro. Funeral Directors Macon, Ga. Lady Attendant “Say It With Flowers” IDLE HOUR NURSERIES South's Leading Florist Macon, Ga. F. X. Jennings Hillman Tanner Proprietor Manager WE CALL FOR AND DELIVER UNION SHOE SHOP ALL WORK GUARANTEED 456 Cotton Ave. Phone 4371 MACON, GA. Watchmakers Jewelers McNELlS & BARTLETT Diamonds, Jewelry, Watches Clocks 462 Mulberry Street Opposite Post Office Telephone 4136 Macon, Ga. Cecil Morgan. Jas. E. Morgan MORGAN & MORGAN, Insurance FIRE—All Kinds. AUTO—AU Kinds. 606 Georgia Casualty Bldg., Phone 4147. Macon, Ga. When in Macon patronise the DEMPSEY HOTEL BARBER SHOP Mo3t Sanitary and Up-to-Date In the City. Manicurist in Attendance Chas. McBrearty. Prop. CITY REALTY CO. S. E. Patton, President 6 Per Cent. Loans, Low Rate Fire Insurance . Macon, Ga. CASSIDY’S GARAGE Tires, Tubes, Vulcanising Gasoline, Oils, Greases, Storage Telephone 3887 Mulberry and Broadway Macon, Georgia BIBB NATIONAL BANK Macon, Ga. Invites Your Account Our Motto: SAFETY SERVICE (Continued from Page One) speak freely of her treatment, when she returned to the United States, aud added: “I thought I could say things he couldn’t. The United States officials in Mexico did every thing they could for us, but llieir hands are tied.” Mother Semple concluded her statement in these words: “The law of 1917 is the basis of it all. As long as that law exists, there will be no living in Mexico for Catholics, Protestants or anyone else.” Constitution Begot in Bigotry. Judge Talley charged that “the Constitution of 1917 was begot in bigotry and for the purpose of driv ing God out of the nation”;d enied that the Constitution was ever ■sanctioned by the Mexican people, and cited instances where in pasi years the United States has taken cognizance of religious persecution in other countries. “The present constitution of Mexi co was never submitted for adop tion byt he Mexican peoplcb ut was imposed by a military convention controlled bjf Carranza”, said Judge Talley. “Before the United States gave its recognition, it asked Mexi co if it would grant religious tolera tion. Mexico answered yes, it would abide byt he constitution of 1857. Carranza arbitrarily suspended that constitution and imposed tlie con stitution of 1917 which destroyed all religious toleration. Under it the Church may not hold property, ministers and priests, even native, may not vote nor teach nor enter a primary school. There is no trial by a jury for priests. No minister may criticize the laws of the coun try. Charitable institutions, hospi tals, orphanages, seminaries, all arc under control of the State. The State legislatures may prescribe the number of priests allowed to func tion within this State. Priests and bishops are never allowed to meet together. Forego born priests '^.e been summarily driven out, alrfCay to tlie number of 202. Forego born nuns have suffered the same fate, and native religious have been de prived of their homes and schools. Tlie schools have been made atheis tic.” Judge Talley quoted fronu be re cent letter, of Elihu Root, written supporting the action of the United States in refusing recognition of Russia, in which Mr. Root said “The recognition of one Government by another is not a mere courtesy. It is an act having definite and speci fic meaning, and it involves an ac ceptance by the recognizing Govern ment of the principles, purposes and avowed intentions of the recognized Government as being in conformity with the rules which govern the conduct of civilized nations toward each other.. , .The immediate, effect of such a course (recognition of Russia) would be to give great en couragement and strength to the communist doctrines professed ' by the Russian Government and to make it seem to all the world that the Government of the United States regards as negligible the differences between the principles underlying American institutions, and the tlie-' ories which support the- dictatorship of tlie proletariat. Such a course by the Government of the United States would not only .give respectability and credit to those who are carrying on the cummunistic- propaganda in the United States but it would tend to the demoralization of public opinion throughout the United States among the people, who would see that our Government makes no difference between the two views of liberty and order.” Judge Talley argued that the same principles applied to the recogni tion by this country of Mexico, de claring that by its fundamental law it had so destroyed freedom of re ligious belief and freedom of speech, that it had put itsel| outside of the recognized principles of humanity and justice which are the basis of all international law, that Mexicp had shown itself to he unfit to be a member of the family of nations. Judge Talley insisted that he did not suggest or consider for a moment our interference with tlie Govern ment and its own people by Mexico, hut lie said that by extending the hand of friendship by convenant or treaty, by the recognition of Mexico in any form, the United States would effect a change of hands with the nation that trampled upon the most elemental principles of the rights of humanity the most im portant of which was the right to worship one’s God according to one’s conscience. He then cited several instances in which the United States in tlie past had taken official cogni- zation of religious activities in other countries. He cited the fol lowing: In 1866 Secretary of State Seward wrote the United Slates diplomatic representative in Japan instructing him to work with representatives of another nation to ameliorate the laws against the practice of Christ ianity in Japan. Secretary of State Fish, in 1876, instructed the American Charge d'affaires at Madrid to inform the Spanish Government that ilie United States was deeply interested in the religious liberty question then being agitated in that country. Secretary of State Frelinghuysen, in 1884, wrote the American Minister of Italy instructing him to make representations concerning the threatened sale of the American Col lege, at Rome, and the Italian Gov ernment acceded to the American wishes. Secretary of State Hay, in 1900, took up with Portugal the question of religious freedom under Its con stitution. Acting Secretary of Stale Adcc, in 1895, sept a letter .to the American Ambassador to France dealing with the adverse legislation of that coun try toward the Mormon church. Secretary of State Day, in 1898, in a letter declared that the United States Department of States efforts had been directed to securing for American citizens the same right to pursue their vocation of preaching and teaching, if such practices are lawful in the country of their resi dence, as any other American pro fessional men or merchants have to pursue their calling.” In 1899 Secretary of State Hay took up with the American Minister of Bolivia the question of alleged restrictions in that country on lib erty of conscience, and the right of freedom to teach. Judge Talley read an account in an affidavit of the incident of Feb. 23, 1926, when the Govermental authorities seized the Church of the Holy Family in Mexico City, and of the resistance of 3,000 women, in which was described the action of the authorities in calling out tlie fire department and deluging the women with water, which resulted in the calling out of the armed po lice. He described the action of the chief of police iu hprse-wliip- ping some of the women who pro tested. He also described tlie ex pulsion of twenty-one Carmelite nuns from their convent, telling the Committee that they were Sisters in religion of Sister Teresa, “The Little Flower”. He explained to the committee that these nuns were cloistered, that they were put on the train going to Mexico City with no definite designation, and that before their, arrival their guards, in a quandary as lo what to do with them, were overheard by two Mexi can men on the train plotting to de posit them in certain houses of ill- fame in Mexico City. Tlie two men protested and paid the guards 100 pesos to allow the nuns to get out at Mexico City, and saw that they were decently housed with Catholic families in the city. Judge Talley informed the committee that the witnesses of both these episodes were prepared to go before the American Ambassador at Mexico and make sworn deposition as to the facts. Judge Talley disclaimed advocat ing interference with Mexico’s pure ly internal affairs, but insisted that the present situation in that coun try is intolerable and that an im mediate remedy must he found. Mexico by her persecution and at tempted destruction of all religion has forfeited the right to claim the friendship of the liberty-loving peo ple of the United States, he assert ed, and it is time this Government spoke. He said in concluding: “If we believe iu our own princi ples of government, with freedom of conscience and religions worship and other human rights, and then, by comity, convenant, treaty or convention give the support of this great country of ours to this state which has the Soviet as its basis, fearful as we are of tlie Russian idea, it should give us pause. It should make us wonder if we are not undermining our own form of government by not telling the world' we do not approve of this thing.” Birth Rate of England Is Now Lowest In the World (By N. C. W. C. News Service) London.—England’s birth rate has fallen to 18.3 per thousand, and is now the lowest in the world. The alarming situation is revealed by figures just issued by the Register General, covering England and Wales during 1925. For peace years the new figure is a low record. . Tlie French birth rate, which was formerly the lowest in the world, was 18.7 when last declared: Whilst the birth rate in England and Wales has dropped from 24.1 in 4913 to 18.3 in 1925, the. marriage Vate has remained roughly the same. In 1913 there were 15.7 marriages per thousaind, and in 1924 there were 15.3 per thousand. During tlie war years the marriages averaged about 19 per thousand. Birth control encouraged by act ive propagandists iu hooks and on public platform, is undoubtedly a large contributing cause to the de cline. The other causes are generally admitted to he insufficient nutrition and wrong living conditions. Income Grows, Expenses De crease During Quarter (By N. C, W. C. News Service) Washington, D. C.—Efforts to revitalize the National Council of Catholic Men have resulted in the last three months in the es tablishment of a new and stable plan of expansion, the enroll ment of 175 new unit organiza tions and a financial gain of $6,400. Beginning with the month of December, 1925, a rigid pro gram of economy was put into effect by the national organiza tion of the council. As a result, in three months it has increased its collections by $1,200 and ac complished this at $1,500 less than had been previously spent for operation. In addition $3,700 were added to the treasury through special contributions. Five hundred new subscribers to the N. C. W. C. Bulletin have also been received in December, 1925. and January and February of this year. Usury, in its wider significance, means all gain from the lending of money. Now, however, it has come to mean unjust gain on loans by reason that the gain is not justified by the loss or risk to the lender or tlie benefit of the borrower, or be cause ,the amount of the gain is ex orbitant. In this latter case usury is forbidden by both the natural law and the Bible. Father Walsh Has Lengthy Conference With Pope American Jesuit Finds Him Much Affected by Death of Archbishop Cieplak By Msgr. Enrico Pucci (Roome Corespondent, N. C. W. (',. News Service) - Rome— Father Edmund A. Walsh S. J. had one March 15 the longest private audiences with His Holiness that lias been accorded for some time. He was closeted with tile Holy Father from 11 o’clock in the morn ing until 12:25 p. m„ despite the fact that numerous prelates were wait ing to gain a few minutes of the Pope's time. I saw Father Walsh later in Hie day and he told me of matters of great importance which had been dsicussed, but concerning which I may not speak until announcement lias been made by His Holiness. The American priest free, however, to describe the profound grief mani fested by the Pope at tlie death of one dear to himself and liis visitor Archbishop Cieplak. Father Walsh himself said lie had taken leave of Archbishop Cieplak in America, with a promise to meet him in Europe, and had so arranged his engagements in Europe as to permit him to accompany the prelate to Vilna when lie should take pos session of his See. “Now,” he said, “perhaps I shall accompany his dead body.” THE MACON NATIONAL BAN K MACON, GEORGIA CAPITAL AND SURPLUS $300,000.00 THE BANK OF PERSONAL SERVICE WE SOLICIT YOUR ACCOUNT ’ DEMAND KINNETT’S VELVET ICE CREAM Made in Macon by KINNETT-ODOM CO. SERVING MIDDLE GEORGIA FOURTH NATIONAL BANK Macon, Georgia “Phone for Food” T. M. DONNELLY COMPANY Fresh Meats and Groceries—Fish and Oysters—Sweet Milk Telephones 3743—3744 970 Oglethorpe Street * Macon, Georgia Goods Delivered Promptly LACKAY AND LACKAY Dealers in — FAMILY GROCESIES, DRY GOODS AND NOTIONS Phones 3931-3932 1502 Broadway MACON, GA., DANNENBERGS MACON’S COMPLETE DEPARTMENT STORE U. E. SHERIDAN E. C. McMILLAN President V.-Pres, and Treas. LEO D. SHERIDAN Sec. and Asst. Treas. T. C. BURKE, Inc. Painters and Builders Supplies 358-360 Third Street Macon, Ga. Fifty-Eight Years of Faithful Service CRESCENT LAUNDRY CO. Up-to-date Laundry work, Dry Cleaning and Dyeing • 519 Second Street Phone 16-17 MACON, GA. * ' -' ' ■ Out-of-town work done on short notice