Newspaper Page Text
JANUARY 25, 1947
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
NINE
Controversy Over Mission of
Myron Taylor to Vatican Is
Deplored by Sumner Wells
By SUMNER WELLES
4 (Former Under Sec retary of State)
(Copyright 1947, New York Tribune, Inc.)
(N. C. W. C. News Service has obtained permission from
the New York Herald Tribune to reprint this article, which
originally appeared in the colu mns of that paper and was syn
dicated to other newspapers.)
It is unfortunate that the con
troversy over Myron Taylor’s mis
sion as the President’s personal
representative at the t Vatican
should have recently flared up
again, and this time in what ap
pears to be an acute and even vir
ulent form. The world is already so
torn by intolerance, by prejudice,
and by antagonisms of the kind or
another that it is deplorable that
the existing bitterness should now
be accentuated here in the United
States.
The decision of the President
to continue Mr. Taylor’s mission,
at least until peace has been re
stored, has been violently assail
ed and as vigorously defended.
There is no need to question the
motives nor the good faith of
either side in the present dispute.
But the form which the controver
sy has taken tends to obscure a
number of simple facts.
Demands for the termination of
Mr. Taylor’s mission have' been
bUsed upon the following charges:
It it alleged that President
Roosevelt’s decision to send a per
sonal representative to the Vati
can violated the principle of the
separation of Church and State. It
is further asserted that the step
taken circumvents constitutional
requirements. Finally, in the
words of a recent protest, the
Taylor mission is said to repre
sent “one of the most dangerous
chapters in modern secret diplo
macy.”
It is hard to understand the rea
soning behind the charge that the
policy inaugurated by President
Roosevelt, and continued by Pres
ident Truman, runs counter to the
pi/nciple of the separation of
Church and State. The appoint
ment of a presidential represen
tative at tlje Vatican cannot affect
the provisions of our Constitution,
nor shape our own internal poli
cies.
From the purely juridical stand
point the territory known as the
Vatican City constitutes a sov
ereign state. It is so recognized by
the majority of nations.
At the outbreak of the war, al
most every country except the
Soviet Union and the United
States, whether constitutionally
Protestant, as in the case of Great
Britain; whether officially non-
Christian, as in the case of JapSli,
or whether anti-Christian, as in
the ease of Nazi Germany, had ac
credited diplomatic representa
tives to the Holy See. Those diplo
matic missions had obviously not
been appointed in order to fur
ther any extension of the influ
ence of the Church over State.
They were appointed because the
powerful influence exercised by
the Vatican throughout a great
part of the world was recognized,
and because the governments so
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Atlanta, Ga.
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106 Hunter St., S. W„ Atlanta, Georgia
Announces the association of Jimmy Gilley, formerly with
Mays’ Cut Rate Drug Store, after serving eighteen months in
the Pacific with Uncle Sam. He Will be happy to see his. numer
ous Catholic friends.
Rev. Joseph MoNamee, S. M.
Formerly of Atlanta,
Dies in Minnesota
PHILADELPHIA—(NO—Father
Joseph P.- McNamee, S. M., a
native of Philadelphia and for
mer rector of Marist College,
Washington, D. C., died in St. Jo
seph’s Hospital, St. Paul, Minn.,
on January 13.
Father McNamee taught at St
Mary's lyianor, South Langhhrne,
Pa., Trinity College, Washington,
D. C., and Marist College, Atlanta.
He also served as vice-rector of
Notre Dame Seminary, New
Orleans.
‘HOPE TO BECOME GOOD PRIESTS’
Happy New Year Greetings
MARCUS CLOTHING COMPANY
62 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Ga.
BEST WISHES
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8 PEACHTREE STREET
WAlnut 0908 ATLANTA
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MRS. BELLE MILLER
112 Clair—nt Ave.
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MRS. WILLIAM C. FOLLIN
FUNERAL IN CHARLESTON
CHARLESTON, S. C.-*Funeral
services for Mrs. Zelma Grace
Follin, wife of William C. Follin,
who died January 10, were held
from St. Patrick’s Church.
Mrs. Follin was born in Charles
ton, the daughter of William
Maree and Mrs. Mildred Cumbee
Marce, She is survived by her
husband; two daughters, four sis
ters, three brothers and four
grandchildren.
represented knew that the Vatican
had available to it sources of in
formation possessed by very few.
if any, other governments. *
The President is intrusted by
the Constitution witli the conduct
of the foreign relations of the
United States. If he is to carry out
these, responsibilities successfully
he must be free to utilize the ser
vices of such agents as he may
consider necessary in order to ob
tain the information he may re
quire whenever that is not avail
able through normal channels. The
history of the foreign relations of
the Uniled States contains innu
merable instances of the exereise
of this right by American Presi
dents. Persona! representatives of
the President have often been ap
pointed where official diplomatic
relations have not existed.
One of the reasons hy President
Roosevelt sent his personal repre
sentative to the Vatican was his
realization that the United States
government must have available
to it every possible shred of intel
ligence which might assist it in
prosecuting the war or in laying
Ihe foundations for a just and
lasting peace.
But I believe that an even more
compelling motive was the Presi
dents conviction that the Vatican
represented a great moral force,
and that it was to the advantage
of the American- people that
their government should be in a
position where it could cooperate
effectively with every world agen
cy which was striving for the cre
ation of a better international or-,
der and for a peace based upon
principles of jjistice and of mor
ality.
No unprejudiced American citi
zen. whatever his erced may be,
can deny that the Vatican consti
tutes one of the most powerful
moral forces in the world of to
day and that Pope Pius XII has
been an outstanding leader in the
battle for the abandonment of pol
icies of cruelty and of aggression
and for the adoption of such stand
ards in the relations between na
tions as can make for enduring
peace.
It is impossible to deal seriously
with the charge that Mr. Taylor’s
mission constitutes a dangerous
“chapter in modern secret diplo
macy.” The foreign relations of
the United States could not be car
ried on if every report rendered
to the President by one of his
agents abroad had immediately to
be made public. Under any such
requirement as that, the sources of
American information would dry
up within five minutes.
No American diplomatic agent
in recent years has carried out hi'
duties with greater discretion, with
greater success and with a greater
regard for his country’s interests
than Myron Taylor. When the full
story of his mission is finally re
corded it will be recognized that it
has been of great service to the
United States. It will also be see - ;
as the Rev. Dr. Everett Clinchy
said a few months ago. that there
has been nothing in this mission
which "need alarm” any sincere
Protestant.
At least until peace has been
restored to the world, the means
of cooperation between the Vati
can and the President of the Unit
ed States afforded by Mr. Taylor’s
mission should continue. The ter
mination of his mission as a result
of the present agitation would not
only renew religious rivalries
which most Americans had hoped
were permanently stilled, but it
would also hinder this government
in its efforts to bring about the
establishment of a just and lasting
peace.
The first three Japanese students to enter the United States since
before the war, these three seminarians en route to Rome to con
tinue their studies for the priesthood. Left to right: Charles K.
Yamada, of Osaka; John K. Sawada, of Tokyo, and Joseph T. Kawa
guchi, of Nagasaki. Residing at Maryknoll Seminary, Ossining, N.
Y.. until time for their departure they expressed thanks to General
MacArtlfur for the special privilege granted them in leaving the
qountry to study. Mr. Sawada, spokesman for the group, declared
.“There is a lot of work to be done in our country for the Church.
So we. hope to become good priests." Mr. Sawada’s father was
formerly Consul General in New York and Ambassador to Brazil.
Mr. Yamada lost his entire family in the atomic bombing of Naga
saki. (NC Photos).
LAWRENCE BICAISE
DIES IN CHARLESTON
CHARLESTON, S. C.—Funeral
for Lawrence Washington Bicaise,
who died December 24, were held
from St. Mary’s Church.
Mr. Bicaise was 89 years old. A
native of Charleston, he was the
son of Benjamin Paul Bicaise, of
France, and Mr$. Julia O’Sullivan
Bicaise, of Virginia. He was for
many years an active member of
the Hibernian Society and also a
member of the Societe Francaise.
He was the descendant of a
French family which came to
Charleston about 1810 from San
Domingo. A retired gun and lock
smith, Mr. Bicaise took over in
1880 a business established by his
father. During the War Between
the States the firm had a contract
with the Confederate government
to convert a large quantity of flint
lock rifles into breechloaders. In
later years the Bicaise shop be
came a headquarters for hunters of
this section.
Mr. Bicaise handled considerable
work for burglary insurance com
panies readjusting safes after they
had been opened by burglars. He
often opened safes for banks and
other business establishments.
Surviving Mr. Bicaise are a son,
Lawrence W. Bicaise, Jr., of Flori
da; a grandsqn, and several nieces
and nephews.
In an editorial tribute. The
Charleston News and Courier stat
ed that Mr. Bicaise was “a worthy
citizen, lie was one of those gentle
men who lived the good life, won
and deserved the confidence of
men who had relations will) him
. . .He leaves a community of
friends who respected him and
who treasure the memory of the
friendship.”
mrs. julia McCarthy
FUNERAL IN ATLANTA
ATLANTA, Ga. — Funeral ser
vices for Mrs. Julia Corbett Mc
Carthy. who died December 30,
were held from the Immaculate
Conception Church, Father Jo
seph R. Smith officiating.
Born in Ireland, she came to
Atlanta in 1896. Her husband, the
late Charles McCarthy, Atlanta
building contractor, died in 1905.
Mrs. McCarthy is survived by a
daughter, Mrs. Fred Bush, Sr.: a
sister, Mrs. Mary Heffernan, both
of Atlanta, ten grandchildren, ten
great-grandchildren, and several
nieces and nephews.
JOHN F.VaULITCH
FUNERAL IN MILLEN
MILLEN, Ga. —■ Father Henry
Burke, of St. Matthews Mission.
Statesboro, officiated at funeral
services held here for John F.
Paulitch, who died on December
28.
Mr. Paulitch, prominent local
dairyman, formerly lived in Sa
vannah, but had spent the last 16
years of his life in Millen.
Active pallbearers were Harley
Humphrey, Albert Brinson, Carl
ton Brinson, Wallace Edenfield,
l C. M. Massey, Erich Dedercheck,
S. N. Sasser and C. E. Reeves.
Japanese Seminarians
Come to This Country
on Their Way to Rome
MARYKNOLL, N. Y. — (NC) —
Three Japanese youths, the first
to come to this country since Pearl
Harbor, have arrived at Maryknoll
Seminary here for a short stay
before journeying to Rome where
they will continue their studies for
the priesthood at Propaganda
College. *
They are John K. Sawada, 27, of
Tokyo, whose father was former
Consul General for Japan in the
Uniled States .and later Ambassa
dor to Brazil: Joseph T. Kawaguc-
ki, 22, of .Nagasaki; and Charles
K. Yamada, 25, of Osaka, whose
entire family perished in the atom
bombing of Nagasaki.
The young men expressed their
gratitude “for the special privi
lege granted us by General Mae-
Arthur to go to Rome and study,
especially as it was th e first time
that any Japanese students were
allowed out of the country.” The
students were also grateful to the
Americans whom they had encoun-
terd in their trip. “We have re
ceived nothing but kindness since
arriving in the United States.”
1hey said adding: “We came here
not knowing exactly what to ex
pect.”
The students, who arrived dress
ed in odds and ends given them
hy priests before they left Japan,
described the poverty that was
had brought to their nation.
“When we are finally ordained in
Rome as men of peace, we intend
to bring that doctrine back to our
homeland,” they declared.
All three of the young men had
served in the Japanese armed
force'. Mr. Sawada was a lieuten
ant in the Japanese Navy; Mr.
Yamada served in the infantry,
and Mr. Kawagucki was also in
the Navy. Mr. Sawada,- who had
attended St. Ignatius School in
New York while his father was
consul in t he U. S., related that,
before leaving Tokyo he had met
a former classmate who now is
serving with the U. S. occupation
forces.
Honorary pallbearers were Carey
Averitt, Eugene Thompson, Hen
ry. King, J. F Bates, Dr. Q. A.
Mulkey. D. A. Bragg, Clyde Dekle,
W. M. Tinley, Gordon Edenfield.
Joseph Gholston, P. Mills, Hoy
Johnson, L. P. Strickland, Milton
Carlton, Ben Lightfoot, and James
Brinson.
Mr. Paulitch is survived by his
wife, the former Miss Jane Meade,
of Martinsville, Va.; a daughter,
Mrs. R. M. Bragg, Statesboro; two
sons, Andrew Paulitch, Savannah,
and John T. Paulitch, Millen; a
sister, Mrs. George Hannith, Oak
dale, Pa., and three grandchil
dren.
MISS MARY T. CRAIG
HIES IN CHARLESTON
CHARLESTON, S. C.—Funeral
services for Miss Mary Theresa
Craig were held January 14 from
St. Joseph’s Church.