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FOURTEEN
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
OCTOBER 17, 1936
Louisiana Governor
Is Former Pupil of
Fr. Michael Kenny
(Special to The Bulletin)
NEW ORLEANS, La. — When
alumni of Loyola University gather
ed here to honor Father Michael
Kenny, S. J., formerly regent of the
law school of the University, the
officer was Hon. Richard
eche, whom Father Kenny once
knew as a pupil of his but whom
the world knows as Governor of
Louisiana. A picture of Father Ken
ny, Governor Leche and Father J.
W. Hynes, S. J., president of Loyola
University, was featured in New Or
leans newspapers.
LANG PLUMBING
COMPANY
J. W. Lang. Mgr.
PLUMBING — HEATING
Office 644 West 37th Street
Phone 2-3294
SAVANNAH, GA.
St. Leo College Prep.
School
Accredited High School
Conducted by the Benedictine
Fathers
Ideal Location
St. Leo Pasco County, Florida
St. Augustine Newspaper’s
Editorial on Spain Brings
Answer From Fr. O’Keeffe
In Letter Published in The Record, He Corrects Er
roneous Presentation of Background of Troubles There
“What Are They Fighting For?”
asked the St. Augustine Record in an
editorial in which the situation in
Spain was erroneously presented, and
the Rev. John H. O’Keeffe of the
Cathedral of St. Augustine corrects
the misleading picture in a letter The
Record published in its columns. Fa
ther O’Keeffe wrote:
A Georgia
Product
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Made for Our Southern
Climate.
Editor, St. Augustine Record,
Will you not in the interest of fair
ness and of truth, permit me to pro
test in your columns against the ed
itorial entitled “What Are They
Fighting For,” which appeared in
your esteemed paper? The editorial
attempts to dissipate the popular corn-
fusion as to the identity of the two op
posing factions to the fratricidal strife
in Spain; speaks of the present Red
government rather euphemistically as
“Loyalist,” and also as “Republicans”
—as if they were fighting for a gov
ernment by law; deplores the exter
mination of all Loyalist elements as
the destruction of the “Idealism of
Spain and the Democracy which had
recently attained a foothold there.”
and endeavors to convince its-readers
that the Fascist government with all
its concomitant evils, will supplant
the present (Communist) regime in
the event of a Rebel victory.
The reference to the “Church,” “its
wealth”, “Church traditionalism”,
“Democracy”, may not in justice to
your readers be overlooked. The les
sons of history are clear for many
things, but up to the present day they
afford no instance of a national gov
ernment openly professing its inten
tion of completely annihilating all re
ligion, substituting rank atheism and
abhorrent morality, and at the same
time making a mockery of everything
that has always been held sacred. This
is exactly what the present govern
ment is doing in Spain.
In the present conflict in Spain the
terms Loyalist and Rebel are little
more than serviceable labels. There
is a very true sense in which the
Loyalists deserved to be called Rebels.
They have no mandate from the peo
ple to justify their conduct. Even be
fore the outbreak of open hostilities,
they had weakly surrendered to the
forces of radicalism and terrorism
within their'ranks. They are really
the ones who declared war, when
their Prime Minister from the bench
made the statement: “Towards the op
position we must consider ourselves
as in the position of belligerents;”
namely, it was not a government for
the whole people, nor was it its duty
to protect the lives and property of
the majority of the population (the
official returns of the February elect
ions showed a majority of over 200,-
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000 for the Rightcenter front) but to
consider them as enemies in war. I
think all history will be searched in
vain for a like declaration of policy
from the head of a responsible gov
ernment in a civilized country.
No wonder this government styled
“Democratic and Idealistic” (and I
take it that the editor was writing ob
jectively) was able to say with levity,
mockery and calculated insult: “Some
governments have an urge for burn
ing, formerly they burned heretics.
Now they bum Santos.” Which was as
much as to say to the mob: Brave fel
lows, go ahead. And again when the
government was asked for the pro
tection guaranteed by a “Democratic
government” the retort comes: “All
the convents in Spain are not worth
the life of one Republican.” In this
they showed themselves for what they
really are and no longer may they in
the eyes of decent men and women
lay claim to “Idealism” and “Dem
ocracy.”
Are the Loyalists so representative
of the Spanish masses and public op
inion in general in Spain as reports
would seem to indicate? The total
vote polled by the Left in the recent
elections was 4,366,000, while the
Right and Center Parties together re
ceived 4,910,870 votes.
As far as the Monarchists are con
cerned, they may be ignored. There
is a great hue and cry about the Fas
cists—and where is there not where
the Communists are threatened? It
has for some time been their policy to
label everything opposed to them
Fascist. It is not accordingly a Mon
archist revolt. The Monarchists are a
small and dwindling minority. It is
not a Fascist revolt. There is practi
cally no Fascism in Spain. Primo de
Rivera, the late Dictator’s son, had
formed a little political party which
he called “The Spanish Phalanx” and
which was called “Fascist” by the
Marxists. He refused to join the
Right-Center Front in the elections
and did not return one deputy to par
liament. But the word came along
from Moscow: “Concentrate on Fas
cism and Imperialism” (as if the So
viets were alien to both).
GEORGIA RAILROAD
TEXAS CENTENNIAL—DALLAS, TEXAS
JUNE 6—NOV. 29, 1936
Visit the Great Texas Centennial Exposition at Dallas
—dazzling, educational and inspiring in all aspects.
Low round-trip fares in effect to Dallas, Fort Worth,
Houston, Galveston, San Antonio and Austin. Stop
overs allowed at all stations. Your itinerary should
include New Orleans, sk» “Paris of America”.
Inquire of ticket ageseSt* for fares and schedules, or
direct to the undersigned.
J. A. HIGGINS, General Passenger Agent
4 Hunter Street, S. E. Atlanta, Ga.
As a matter of fact, if the Rights
win there is no danger not even pos
sibility of a Fascist regime. The army
leaders, “the Rebels,” are nearly all
live in peace. General Franco recent-
ment. This justice will reign over re
ligion and the Church, as well as over
the property owners and the prole
tariat. Various factions exist, but they
will have to submit to the demands of
social order. Will this take place?
There is much greater probability that
justice, religion and morality will be
given any place under the Commun
ist regime.
The whole attitude of the daily
press, correspondents, commentators
and editors show that they have im-
bided an anti-church tradition which
has predisposed them to believe that
where the Catholic Church is con
cerned, she must be on the wrong side
and responsible for all evil. So they
accept the propaganda against her,
and repeat what has long been in the
mouths of anti-clericals, even if they
be Communists and Anarchists.
No reference or explanation is of
fered in the editorial as to the per
sonnel of the present so-called gov
ernment (a government neither de
facto nor de jure). Communism nat
urally looks upon the Catholic Church
in Spain as inimical to it—first, last
and always. The Catholic Chinch has
no armies, no ammunition, no guns.
The Communistic government of the
gentlemen in Red in Spain has. The
Church opposes Communism with the
weapons at its command—by organiz
ation, by argument, by prayer.
Meanwhile the “Rightists” whom
the newspapers call “Fascists” and
“Rebels” are making a valiant fight
to save what is left of their country
to an orderly, human condition of
living. These Rightists include “con
servative Republicans, Militarists,
Anti-radicals, Fascists and Moors. The
“Leftists” being the “Communists”
are fighting back to maintain them
selves, and in the rest periods be
tween battles are shooting priests and
religious of both sexes with a malig
nity of frightfulness, especially to the
women, that would make the Turk,
at his worst, pause and consider.
Churches, convents, schools, memo
rials of mighty days when Spain was
powerful, Christian and valiant have
the torch set to them until only charr
ed black walls remain. Art, the ex
pression of man’s yearning for beauty
is gone with them. At this moment
Spain is a battle-ground for modem
civilization as vital to the world as
were the frightful wars against the
Moslem.
It is only natural that sides should
be taken by outsiders in the present
conflict in Spain. Socialists and Com
munists regimes, such as France and
Russia favor the “Loyalists” while
Fascists as Germany and Italy favor
the “Rebels.” Newspapers, too, can
take sides as is evidenced by the col
oring which the news receives as it
is served to the public. “What are we
fighting for?”
The statement that “the Church
owned nearly 50 per cent of the en
tire land of Spain” is as ridiculous as
the news dispatches sent from Spain
not so long ago about the seizure of
vast sums of clerical and convent
wealth announced by the Madrid gov
ernment. The $26,000,090 of wealth,
which the Associated Press reports
the government says it seized in a
convent of the Sisters of St. Vincent
de Paul, dwindles on an analysis of
the government’s own words to $260,-
000. It is not inconceivable that some
religious establishments were endow
ed in an old Catholic country like
Spain; just as many universities and
colleges of the United States are
heavily endowed, and that because of
the threatening conditions, as much
as possible of this wealth was put in
to negotiable form, but it is stretch
ing things to the limit to accredit one
order with $26,000,000, of loose cash
and securities. The Madrid govern
ment is not alone satisfied with des
troying convents and killing nuns
Who constantly labor to instill into
the minds and hearts of the young,
a love for the religious and patriotic
institutions the Communists hate and
attack, but lie about them also, which
is merely engaging in a favorite old
trick of the anti-clericals. When
money is held in religious endow
ments, the income goes to aid the
poor, the sick, the infirm. When .it is
confiscated by anti-clerical govern
ments, it invariably finds its way in
to private pockets.
evening colleague, Ya. As an emer
gency measure, it was announced, the
properties of both newspapers were
declared national property. If local
newspapers were treated thus surely
we would call this for what it is
namely confiscation, pure and simple,
for we do not believe “the end justi
fies the means.”
The present conflict in Spain is not
really between Rights and Lefts, not
between Monarchists and Republi
cans, nor between Catholics, as such,
and anti-or non-Catholics, but be
tween Liberal Republicans, represent
ed by Lerroux who wished to pre
serve the 1931 republic as it had been
promised to the people and voted in
to being and the fanatical anti-Christ
ian doctrinaires represented by Azana
who wanted not a republic for all,
but such as would realize his “ideal
revolution.” The fight is “pro aris
et focis”—“For their altars and their
fire-sides.”
The Spanish government recently
decreed the enforcement of Article
XXVI of the Constitution of 1931 and
ordered all buildings belonging to the
religious orders confiscated within
five days according to the Associated
Press, of which the St. Augustine Re
cord is a member.
Under Article XXVI religious or
ders imposing special vows of obedi
ence to any authority distinct from
that of the State, are dissolved and
their property nationalized under cer
tain circumstances such as when their
activities are deemed to “constitute a
danger for the security of the state.”
A decree issued by the Ministry of
Education on July 28, 1936, authorizes
all governors and mayors of every
province and city in Spain to confisc
ate all buildings, and also all scientific
and teaching equipment belonging to
religious orders. Definite word has
been received of the confiscation of
the great Catholic newspaper, El De
bate by the Socialist militia has taken
possession of the headquarters of the
Catholic popular Action party, the
leader of which Jose Maria Gil Robles
is in Biarritz. France, with his family.
Machine guns are reported to have
been mounted by the militia in the
windows of the building.
Confiscated with El Debate was its
If Spain goes Red, all of Europe
may go Red, too. Then the United
States may have to do some thinking
and fighting. And the secular press of
this country, always so declamatory
in its patriotism, may in a perilous
future reflect ruefully that by taking
sides with Communism against the
Catholic Church, it has helped to des
troy one of the most powerful guides
and teachers in the ordered govern
ment of men for over 2,000 years.
To your readers and subscribers it
is evident that principles are at stake
such as freedom of religious worship,
freedom of education, freedom of
speech, freedom of the press, right of
private property, to which none of us
can be indifferent if we are true to
our American heritage. We earnestly
request therefore the publication of
this, our letter in full.
Thanking you for your courtesy, I
remain
Yours sincerely,
(REV.) JOHN H. O’KEEFFE
Carroll Magarahan
Textile Plant Head
WASHINGTON. Ga.— J. Carroll
Magarahan of Spartanburg S. C„ a
native of Augusta, has been elected
president of the Pope Manufacturing
Co. here, of which he was previously
vice-president. Mr. Magarahan has
long been prominent in the textile
business.
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