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TWENTY-FOUR THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA AUCWST 25, 1945 Former CL A Executive Secretaries JAMES J. FARRELL RICHARD REID, K. S. G. Our Best Wishes CLARENCE MOBLEY CONSTRUCTION CO. GENERAL CONTRACTORS Augusta, Georgia When the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia was or ganized the late James J. Farrell, of Augusta, was chosen as its first executive secretary and publicity director. In the four short years he was spared to the Association, Mr. Farrell made its work known from one end of the nation to the other. His memory lives in the minds and hearts of the members of the Association and lie lives in its work which his pioneering ef forts made possible. From 1920, until he resigned in 1929 to accept the editorship of The Catholic News, of New York, Richard Reid served as ex ecutive secretary of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, and as editor ol 1 its publication. The Bulletin. He distinguished himself in the work of the Asso ciation so signally thal^he was awarded the Laetare Medal in 1936 by Notre Dame University, and in 1938 was made a Knight cf St Gregory by Pope PiuS XL Theologians Review Moral Aspects of Using Atomic Power in Conduct of War (Continued from page one) knock the enemy out of the war is, therefore, just and moral insofar as the war itself is just and moral. Now most people and all Catho lics agree that war is a just and moral means of defense against anv aggressor nation.” - The Rev. Francis J. Connell. C.SS.R., associate professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of America, comment ing informally, began by saying that, "at present it is impossible to pass a precise judgment on the morality of the atomic bomb, since cur military authorities have given us only meager information about the effectiveness of this ter rible instrument of destruction and of the way in which they in tend to use it. “However,” he continued, "from the account of the havoc which it is capable of effecting there are grave reasons to fear that it lends itself to methods of warfare con trary to the law of God. Two mor al principles relative to the* wag ing of war must be emphasized, and Hits is an appropriate occa sion to bring them to the atten tion of ail decent people, both Catholic and non-Catholic. “The first is that it is never permitted in war to attack di rectly the non-combatants of the enemy nation, consequently, if the bomb were employed for a direct attack on a residential section of a Japanese city—a section in which there are no important mil itary objeclives — its use would be a flagrant violation of the law of God. This principle would hold even if it were foreseen that as result of such an attack on the civilian population the morale of the people would be broken and the war brought to a speedier close. A good end does not justify the use of an immoral means. “Secondly, even in the suppo sition that the bomb were employ ed directly only against a strictly military objective, such as a mu nition factory or an airfield, it would be against the law of God to use it if the harm done coinci dentally to the civilian population were out of proportion to the beneUls consequent on the de struction of the military objec tive. For example, if the bomb were aimed at the munitions fac tory but it could be reasonably anticipated that five or six thou sand eiv''ians would be killed in their homes in the vicinity as a result of the stupendous power of *the bomb. Its use would again be unlawful according to the funda mental moral principles. “Briefly, the lawful use of the atomic bomb is limited to the case when it is used directly only against a military objective (which includes troops as well as war plants, air fields, etc.) and it can be reasonably anticipated that the accompanying harm done to non- combatants in the vicinity is nol out of proportion to the good ef fected by the direct attack on the military objective. “It is well for the American people to realize now when this stupendous weapon is put in their hands, that we have certain defi nite moral obligations toward the Japanese people in the conduct of the war,” Father Connell said. “Whatever wrongs may have been done by their leaders or by some of their soldiers, we may nol transgress God’s law in return. The Japanese people are human beings with certain inalienable lights. They are the children of God, and . ;cording to Christian principles (which most of the American people are supposed to accept), they have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and are capable of meriting the Kingdom of Heav en. It is to be hoped that our lead ers will be guided by God’s law' in their use of the atomic bomb if they decide to employ it.” Views paralleling those of Fa ther Connell were expressed by the Rev. Joseph A. Vaughan, S. J.. chairman of the Deparment of Ethics, Loyola University of Los Angeles. “If our military leaders,” he said, “sanctioned or intended the use of the atomic bomb for other objectives than purely- mili tary objectives, the act, according to ethical principles, must be deemed immoral. The terrorizing of civilians or the breaking down of civilian morale by such de structive means may not be con sidered a legitimate and moral military objective. “Even granting that our mili tary leaders intended the destruc tion of military objectives only, still the act remains immoral, for the principle of the double effect does not justify such bombings, because the evil effects conse quent upon the use, of the atomic bomb are completely out of pro portion to the good effect, namely, the destruction of legitimate, rec ognized military objectives. “The mere opinion or even the fact that the atomic bomb would bring the war to a quicker close and save countless lives does not justify the use of this immoral means, because a good end never justifies the use of evil means,” Father Vaughan concluded. NATION’S HIGHEST AWARD GOES TO SON OF COLONEL DECORATED IN TWO WARS HARTFORD, Conn. — Capt. Mi chael J. Daly, 20-year-old com ma. .der of Company A, 15th Infan try, has been awarded the Con gressional Medal of Honor for her oism in the ttle of Nuernberg, Germany. He left the U. S. Mili tary Academy at West Point .be cause of deficiency in mathematics and was inducted into the Army as a •private. He won his commis sion in the field, and besides the nation’s highest awarj for heroism, he also holds the Silver Star with two Clusters. Capt. Daly is tho son of Col. and Mrs. Paul G. Daty, of South'pprt, His father, commander pf. the 398th Infantry of the .,100th Divi sion, is in Ilolleran General Ho St pital under treatment for vvpund.;. Colonel Daly was decorated with the Distinguished Service , Cross and the Croix de Guerre in World' War 1 and with the Legion of Merit for service at Guadalcanal in World War II. Ask for HEOS’ Sold at Your Favorite Store MANUFACTURED BY HEOS FOOD PRODUCTS CO., AUGUSTA, GA. AUGUSTA BAG & BURLAP CO, New and Second Hand BURLAP and COTTON BAGS Plant: Savannah Road P. Q. Box 358 Telephone 2-7778 Augusta, Georgia FREEDOM OF SPEECH FREEDOM OF RELIGION RACIAL TOLERANCE All embodied in the daily operation of Augusta’s home owned radio station \ American Network .- >:1 ! • •j ■•..., - h; •