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SEPTEMBER 29, 1945
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
NINE
WITH OTHER EDITORS
“FRIENDS OF SPAIN”
On Sept. 10, the New York Times
printed a letter from Francis Rus
sell, Liaison Officer of the State
Department, to Bishop Hartman,
Methodist Bishop of Boston and
Chairman of the Friends of Span
ish Democracy. In the name of
Secretary Byrnes, Mr. Russell re
assured Bishop Hartman, who had
dispatched a demand that Wash
ington take action now against the
Spanish Government. From the
many reflections suggested by this
exchange of letters, we present
but two.
In the first place, must pre
sume that the Friends of Spanish
Democracy — and similar-minded
groups have suddenly increased
their anti-Spanish activity in the
hope of persuading this country
to sever relations with the Franco
Government in favor of the recent
ly established Republican Govern-
ment-in-Exile in Mexico. The
urgency of our first point becomes
obvious—who compose the Re
public in Mexico City and what
do they stand for?
Can that government be called
democratic which, pretends to rep
resent a nation overwhelmingly
Catholic, not only contains not a
single Catholic but is headed by
a group of men who have dedicated
a life-time to the most violent
attacks upon the very foundations
of religion? This is not a mere
assertion, but a fact of official
records.
The second point is aimed at the
monstrous logic which would pass
from the assertion that the Franco
Government is incurably Fascist
to the irrelevant conclusion that
Spain should be led, drawn or
driven back (peaceably! of course)
to the ’31-’3G Republic. Whether
or not the Franco Government has
been or is Fascist, the implication
that the insurrection in 1936
against an anti-religious and
chronically incompetent govern
ment was Fascist or Fascist-in
spired, is an afront to truth, to
the Spanish nation and to the
cause of a durable world order
and peace. It is a charge dis
credited again and again by those
in the best position to know and
speak the truth. Salvador de-
Madariaga, one of the most dis
tinguished representatives of the
former Republic, says bluntly:
“The revolt of 1936 had little
to do with Fascism.” (Spain, p.
373) And again, answering the
question: “Why had the Rebels
won?” de Madariaga replies: “The
lazy answer, and the passionate,
is: ‘Because they had help of Ger
many and Italy.' This answer
will not do. Important as it was,
this help was not crucial.” (Ibid., p.
418). i
But the most crushing repudia
tion of this anti-Spanish propa
ganda comes from an unexpected
source. Don Indalecio Prieto, out
standing Socialist leader in the
last years of the Republic, today
maintains that a critical blunder
of the Republic is to be found in
its undevinting persecution of
religion. In an authorized state
ment, he says:
I believe that only the Church
can today provide the solid,
spiritual orientation required for
a just and lasting peace. . . .
If the Church would again as
sume leadership, civilization
might again be saved.
No wonder that Don Indalecio,
looking over the roster of the
Republic-in-Exile, makes haste to
excuse himself, “for personal rea
sons”, from accepting the post of
fered him in its cabinet.
It is not the Spanish nation alone
which is at stake. What is at
stake here is the cause of truth,
justice and religious liberty—
eternal values whose rejection in
1936 by the Spaniards now in
Mexico delivered the Republic to
the Revolutionary Left.—(America)
during the gloomy days on Bataan.
They had the most extensive and
effective underground movement
during the Japanese occupation of
any conquered Asiatic people.
They were there to help us when
General MacArthur came back to
Leyte and they turned over whole
islands which their guerrillas had
wrestled from the Japanese. They
suffered hardships, torture and
death at the hands of the Japs, but
their loyalty and belief in America
never wavered. They were worth
more to us than all the rest of our
allies put together.
It is unforgivable that the 18
million Filipinos who are bound
to this nation by such ties of
friendship and trust were not
honored with the right to assert
their share in the triumph by sign
ing the Japanese surrender docu
ment. The forces of liberty in
Asia would have been given a
voice through the exercise of this
right. General MacArtliur’s long
and intimate association with the'
Filipino people relieves him of
the blame for this oversight.
Whether our state department was
at fault or whether we yielded to
allies who are unwilling to grant
the dignity of recognition to native
populations are questions which
should he answered.—(The Catho
lic Messenger).
On Columbus Day
Program in Augusta
U. S. Authorities in Germany Restore
Church Property to Rightful Owners
MICHAEL F. WALSII, K. S. G.
Observance of Columbus Day
in Augusta will be featured by
an address which will be delivered
by Justice Michael F. Walsh, K. S.
G., of the Supreme Court of the
State of New York, and a member
of tlie Supreme Board of Direc
tors of the Knights of Columbus.
OUR MOST LOYAL ALLY
Brig. Gen. Carlos Romulo, resi
dent commissioner of the Philip
pines, justifiably protested the
ommission of his country from
the ceremony at which Japan for
mally surrendered in Toky- Bay.
Among the signatories were
Russia, which entered the war two
days before the Japanese peace
overture; Canada, which lost a
regiment at Hong Kong in the first
days of the war and then con
fined its participation to a few
troops at Attu and the employ
ment of one cruiser; France, whose
Pacific bases were used by
America but which provided no
fighting forces; New Zealand, Aus
tralia and Great Britain.
The Filipinos were in the war
against Japan from the first day
and they still were in it when
the end came three years and eight
months later. There were loyal
FRANCO THE PIKER
Now that we arc able to take
stock of the incidents of the war,
we must surely be astonished at
the failure of Franco to take full
advantage of the enthusiasm that
he certainly aroused in Spain when
he undertook to save its civilization
from Totalitarianism that threat
ened it. What the danger was we
now know from the outspoken
words of Churchill who delib
erately aided Tito in his campaign
in Yugoslavia when Tito came
from Spain to wage another war on
behalf of Communism.
At wha^ time Churchill became
aware of the true character of the
“Democracy” of Tito, we do not,
of course, know; but he must have
learned it by experience and now
that he is free to speak his words
are conclusive.
Franco has been accused of
many crimes, but these are spe
cific: He accepted help from Ger
many and Italy and must, there
fore, be considered an enemy. He
dropped bombs on civilians and
earned for himself the title of
“Baby-killer.” ' He established
concentration camps in which he
placed political opponents. He
executed an unspecified number of
persons who were obnoxious to
him. These four accusations have
been hurled against him during the
past six years. Let us suppose
for the sae of argument, without
admitting their truths, and with
out criticizing the form of his
government, that he is guilty of
what he is accused.
If he is guilty, then others must
also be guilty who did the same
thing. Judged in this light Franco
can be called a piker.
Let us take the bombings,
especially of Barcelona. They took
place before the so-called Loyal
ists were defeated. There, were
ample opportunity to send to this
country photographs of the dam
age caused. None, to our knowl
edge, have come. The truth is
that only a few stray bombs hit
any non-miiltary targets, Franco
did not kill hundreds of thousands
of civilians, including "babies”,
on the plea that he was shortening
the war and saving lives. If he
had done so, would he have been
praised? What would have been
said of him had he dropped atomic
bombs? We are not arguing, but
simply asking a question.
He is said to have established
concentration camps. Is he the
only one who did so? We ask this
question of Poles, Lithuanians and
of the various peoples on the east
ern borders of Europe. Let us
ask Churchill about this. His an
swer has already been given and
is unmistakable. He has stigmat
ized that treatment of the border
States as inhuman. If Franco did
all that he is said to have done,
he is only a mere piker.
It is said that Franco executed
those accused of political offenses.
We do not enter into any discus
sion of the fact but merely draw
attention to the executions for
political offenses that are taking
place in liberated areas. If Franco
has acted savagely to those he has
conquered, he has not done more
than others have done. And,
strangely enough, the persons who
are accusing him are the very ones
who are demanding more and more
blood from so-called war crim
inals. .
We have left the first accusation
Benedictine School in
Savannah Obliged to
Limit Enrollment
and courageous fighting allies to the last: Franco received help
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Benedictine
Military School re-opened this
year with a limited enrollment,
the Rev. Paul R. Milde, O. S. B.,
the principal, stating that on ac
count of lack of space in the va
rious classrooms it was necessary
to declined admittance to a num
ber of prospective students.
Faculty additions announced by
Father Paul were as follows: The
Rev. Timothy Flaherty, O. S. B..
from Belmont Abbey College, will
teach social science, and will also
serve as director of athletics, with
John Scott as coach of the football
team.
The Rev. Thomas Hoffman, O.
S. B., of St. Leo Abbey, Fla., who
taught at Benedictine several years
ago, will again teach mathematics
and English. Father Thomas did
post-graduate work at Duquesne
University and the University of
Notre Dame.
Brother Stanislaus Mularz, C.
S. V., of St. Thomas Vocational
School, who holds an A. B. degree
from St. Louis University, and
who has done considerable post
graduate study, will, teach Spanish
and Latin.
Harold Hastings, M. I. E. E.,
consul for the Netherlands, will
instruct in Spanish and mathe
matics. Mr. Hastings is a mem
ber of the Institute of Electrical
Engineering of London and for,
more than twenty years was a
resident of Spain where he was
engaged in engineering projects.
By MAX JORDAN
(War Correspondent, N. C. W. C,
News Service)
FRANKFURT—To restore com
plete freedom of worship the
United States Group of the Allied
Control Council tor Germany has
taken measures whereby the legal
titles to all church property are
restored to their rightful owners
and the green light is given for the
full resumption of all religious ac
tivities, including religious instruc
tion in public and private schools,
publication of church papers and
all kinds of youth and welfare
work.
One of the first measures of the
Allies in conquered Germany was
the abolition of the Nazi “church
ministry,” whose primary func
tion had been to impose every
sort of restriction upon the church
es and to interfere with their
spiritual and material freedom.
Now that Nazi influences in churcli
affairs are eliminated and churches
are given every freedom to organ
ize their own affairs.
As far as the Catholic Church is
c i.eerned the Concordats entered
into between German governments,
both State and federal, and the
Holy See are respected wherever
military necessity permits. Church
es will continue to raise funds
through their members. In addi
tion, State subsidies are granted to
those churches which had receiv
ed them in the past by way of com
pensation for their real property
confiscated at the time of the
French Revolution.
Parents will have the freedom,
which the Nazi regime had denied
so long, to decide for themselves
whether they wish their children to
attend the public or parochial
schools, and the churches will be
authorized again to organize their
own school system, which had
been wantonly destroyed by Hit
ler’s orders.
Figures are now available which
indicate that Catholics will have
the largest percentage of the total
population in the American zone,
the smallest in the Russian zone.
For the whole of Germany the
denominational picture indicates a
relation of approximately two to
one for the Protestants as com
pared with . the Catholics—about
41 1-2 to 23 million, to be exact.
About seven million Catholics re
side in the American zone, which
corresponds to 53 per cent of the
zone’s total population.
The changes brought about by
the war involve tremendous prob
lems for all churches. American
officials who have made an unof
ficial survey of the situation be
lieve that between 80-90 per cent
of all church structures in cities
with a population of over 50,000
have been destroyed or irrepara
bly damaged in the course of the
war, while almost all of the small?
er towns and villages have their
churches intact. It will take a long
time before the regions that have
suffered these imemnse ravages
can be restored to some sort of
normality.
There is every reason to believe,
however, that the Christian
churches will be able to compen
sate their material losses by a fast
growth in spiritual influence
throughout Germany, now that
they suffer no longer under per
secution and discrimination. The
freedom of worship which Allied
victory has restored for all Ger
mans will bear fruit and regain for
religion its rightful place in the
life of the nation.
“0SSERVAT0RE” DENIES
SECULAR NEWS REPORTS
(Radio, N. C. W. C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY. — Under the
heading “Unfounded Rumors,” Os-
servalore Romano recently de
nied two reports concerning dig
nitaries of Church and State.
“Some newspapers,” Osscrva-
torc said, "recently have reported
that His Excellency the Most Rev.
Francesco Borgongini Duca, Apos-
(olic Nuncio to Italy, has met
Winston Churchill (former British
Prime Minister) in a locality in
Northern Italy. We are in a posi
tion to state that the report is
without foundation.”
Osservatorc also stated that
“nothing is known here” regard
ing the report of a journey of Ed
ward J. Flynn, former chairman
of the Democratic National Com
mittee in the United States, to
Rome and Moscow.
from Germany and Italy. Well,
what of it? Have we forgotten
the part that Russia made with
Hitler in order to destroy Poland?
Have we forgotten that Churchiill
deliberately helped the cut-throat
Tito? What was the justification
for all this? The only one that
can be made is the necessity de
manded by circumstances.
It may be said without fear of
contradiction that every specific
attack on Franco’s administration,
can be brought with far greater
cogency against the policies of
the Allied nations. Under these
circumstances why not leave
Franco alone?
Ah, but it is said: Our Allies
were fighting for Demdcracy
whilst Franco was fighting for
Fascism. To this we answer: We
are not, for the moment, concerned
with politics; we are dealing with
consistency. For centuries the
Jesuits have been falsely accused
of teaching that the end justifies
the means. Are we going to ac
cept it? If it was wrong for
Franco to kill babies, it is wrong
for us. If it is wrong to execute
political prisoners, it is always
wrong. If it is wrong to accept
help from any quarter in a case
of necessity, it is always wrong.
If it is wrong to drive people from
their homes into concentration
camps, to move whole populations
from their native lands and to
establish a tyranny by force, then
it is always wrong.
If Franco did any of these things
he did them on so small a scale
compared with what his accusers
have done that he must be called
a piker.—(The Catholic Standard
and Timeni
HAS NO KNOWLEDGE
OF FLYNN’S MISSION
The report in secular news
papers regarding the journey of
Mr. Flynn originated from Wash
ington, after he had called at the
White House. The report stated
that Mr. Flynn told newsmen he
would return to Rome and Mos
cow to complete a special diplo
matic mission he had undertaken
for the late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. The report added he
had called at the White Hous to
discuss several subjects with
President Harry S. Truman and
that the former Democratic Com
mittee chairman had said his mis
sion to the Vatican never has
been completed).
JOHN FARRELL, AUGUSTA,
RECEIVES PROMOTION
AUGUSTA, Ga.—John J. Far
rell, a member of St. Mary’s-on-
the-Hill parish here, has been ap
pointed to the newly created po
sition of assistant manager of the
Savannah agency of the Mutual
Life Insurance Company of New
York. Formerly a field under
writer for the company, Mr. Far
rell will supervise the company’s
field organization in Bleckley,
Burke, Dodge, Emanuel, Jeffer
son, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens,
Montgomery, Pulaski, Richmond,
Telfair, Treutlen, Washington,
Wheeler, Wilcox and Wilkerson
counties from his headquarters in
Augusta.
A native Augustan, Mr. Farrell
is the son of the late James J.
Farrell, first executive secretary
of the Catholic Laymen’s Associ
ation of Georgia, and first editor
of The Bulletin.
JAMES W. GILBERSON
DIES IN CHARLESTON
Battleflag of USS New York
Goes to N. Y. Cathedral
(By N. C. W. C. Ncwc Agency)
HONOLULU.—The flag that
flew during the battles of Iwo
Jima and Okinawa will hang in
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New
York as a memorial to the men
who manned the ship during all
the campaigns in which it partici
pated during both World Wars.
This assurance was given by
the Most Rev. Francis J. Spell
man, Archbishop of New York,
during his visit at Pearl Harbor.
On a forward deck of the ship, and
in the presence of the entire crew,
the flag was presented to Arch
bishop Spellman by Capt. Grayson
B. Carter, the ship’s commander,
who expressed the wish that the
flag be enshrined as a token of
the bravery of the ship’s crew in
war.
Expressing his gratitude, Arch
bishop Spellman said: “To all of
you on this ship, which has a
history second to none, I promise
that I shall follow Captain Car
ter’s words and keep this flag as
a symbol of things American and
of peace. I shall place it in the
Cathedral of St. Patrick in New
York. There let it remind us
forever that the challenge of peace
is just as great and important as
that of war. We have another
battle ahead of us—the battle of
peace.”
At a signal from the captain,
the band played and the crew
sang “The Sidewalks of New
York.” Archbishop Spellman join
ed in the singing. The USS New
York was commissioned in 1914
and served as flagship of Admiral
Hugh Rodman in World War I. It
participated in the surrender of
the German High Seas Fleet on
November 21, 1918. Among those
who have been guests aboard the
ship was Emperor Hirohito, who
visited the USS New York as
Crown Prince of Japan on Novem
ber 3, 1918.
R. REID McNAMARA
GOES TO CHICAGO
t
CHARLESTON, S. C.—Funeral
services for James Walker Gilber-
son were held September 11 from
St. Patrick’s Church.
SAVANNAH, Ga.—R. Reid Mc
Namara, formerly of Savannah, has
been made manager of the Middle
West District by the Sealright
Company, with headquarters in
Chicago.
Mr. McNamara, the brother of
the Right Rev. Msgr. T. James Mc
Namara, rector of the Cathedral of
St. John the Baptist here, visited
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. J.
McNamara in Savannah before
leaving for his new post.
Mrs. McNamara, the former Miss
Agnes O’Brien, of Savannah, and
their two children, are leaving
their former home in High Point,
N. C., to join Mr. McNamara in
Chicago.