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1 PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, August 8, 1963 U. S. Ministers’ (Continued From Page 1) Church in New York; and the Rev. Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of the Union Theological Seminary in New York. Erickson’s open letter an swered the committee’s four points one by one. A 1950 grad uate of the U. S. Naval Aca demy and a Catholic, he said he has been in Vietnam for four months as a "technical writer on a private research institute contract with the U. S. Army whose function is to ob serve, interpret and report on military operations.’’ He added that "military and political as pects of the counterinsurgency war being fought here cannot be separated.’’ "Your first protest: ‘Our country’s military aid to those who denied him (the Buddhist monk who set himself on fire) religious freedom’’ indicates a simple unawareness of the facts of the case. The self-immola tion of the Venerable Thich Quang Due did indeed take place, and photographs of the burning monk had an electrifying ef fect on world opinion. "But the motives behind the act are obscure. The tragedy was heightened by the fact that the sacrifice was needless. There is not now, nor has there ever been, any denial of reli gious freedom to Buddhists in Vietnam. "The first demand by the General Association of Budd hists (the organization that sta ged the recent Saigon demon strations) was that the Budd hists be permitted to fly their own flag. In the first place, there is no recognized flag of Budd hism, as such; the flag in ques tion is that of the General Asso ciation of Buddhists, an organi zation that by no means repre sents Buddhism in general or Vietnamese Buddhism in par ticular. "Since 1957 there has been a government order with re spect to the precedence of the national flag over all other flags (similar to the tra- Chatham Typewriter Co. \ It Registers - Adding Machines, Typewriters v New and Used Reconditioned 317 EAST BROUGHTON SAVANNAH,GEORGIA AD 6-3351 MOTOR HOTEL 9 TV St AIR CONDITIONING • FAMOUS MIAMI BUFFET • ICE & BEVERAGE STATIONS • COFFEE MAKER, EACH ROOM LUCKIE AT CONE ST. A Good Address in Atlanta ditional, formal treatment of the American flag). This order was first invoked against Catho lics in Vietnam. At the dedi cation of a new Catholic Church in Hue early this year, papal flags were flown. They were ordered to be hauled down and replaced by national flags. The Catholics acquiesced. "Another of the General As sociation of Buddhists’demands was "freedom of worship.’’ There has, in fact, been no suppression of Buddhist ser vices or observances, private or public. It is also interesting to note that one-fourth of all the existing Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam have been built since the Diem government came to power; another fourth have been rehabiliated during this time; and the Diem government has granted nine million piastres ($125,000) for these projects. The President himself donated 600,000 piastres ($8,300) to ward construction of the XaLoi pagoda in Saigon (the very pa goda to which the charred body of the Venerable Thich Quang Due was taken). This is indeed a strange way to ‘deny religious freedom.’ Erickson’s open letter con tinued: "Your second protest: ‘The immoral spraying of parts of South Vietnam with crop-des troying chemicals and the herd ing of many of its people into concentration camps called "strategic hamlets’’ ’ shows a callous disregard for the true significance of these projects. "The ‘crop-destroying’ chemicals are used for two pur poses: 1) selective destruction of crops in areas known to be oc cupied only by Viet Cong (com munist) guerrillas and 2), of greater importance, as a means of clearing dense vegetation from either side of arterial roads in Vietnam in order to cut down the opportunities for Viet Cong guerrillas to hide and ambush highway traffic. "I’m sure you are aware of the high incidence and brutality of these ambushes. Innocent civilians (including Protestant missionaries, Catholic priests and nuns, and school children) as well as military personnel in convoys have been killed on the roads leading to and from Saigon. Thanks to the 'crop- destroying chemicals, these same roads are now relatively safe. It is indeed unfortunate that such a measure-must be taken, but without any doubt it has saved hundreds of lives, and at the expense of a band of ve getation 100 yards or so deep on either side of some roads... "As for the strategic ham lets, your statement that they are ‘concentration camps’ is absurd. The strategic hamlet program is a truly inspiring patriotic effort on the part of all who are involved in their construction, and they may well be the deciding factor in this very real war against commun ism. For the first time, the people of rural Vietnam have some security against the Viet Cong terrorists who, before the strategic hamlets came into being, roamed the countryside at will, living off the defense less farmers. The hamlets deny the Viet Cong access to one of THE REXCO LIFETIME SYSTEM Royal Exterminating Company ' • FREE INSPECTION • GUARANTEED PROTECTION "We are Best against your Pests Give us a Trial, You be the Judge" MEMBER OF B & F ENTERPRISES Phone 236 0687 412 Drayton St. Savannah IMPORTANT NOTICE NANCY HANKS, Tr. 107, now de parts Savannah 6:40 A. M., instead 7:00 A. M., arrives Macon 10:25 A. M. instead 10:45 A. M., arrives Atlanta 12:40 P. M. instead 1:00 P. M. Corresponding changes in termediate stations. Central Of Georgia Railway 8000 MILES FOR A LESSON IN ENGLISH—Some Yankee hints on teaching English as a second language will be taken back to Baghdad’s Al-Hakma University from St. Michael’s College, Winooski Park, Vermont, by Comille Tebshirary, (left) and Father Robert J. Sullivan, S. J., of the Jesuit school. They are learning techniques of the language labora tory St. Michael’s uses for its students from 32 countries. Seated is Prof. Ernest A. Boulay, founder and director of St. Michael’s program of English for Foreign Students. Standing is his assistant director, Eugene O’Neill.—(NC Photos) Archbishop Tells Methodists Catholics Of Louisiana New Spirit Evident LAKE JUNALUSKA, N. C., (NC)—A new Catholic spirit linked with ecumenism is in evidence today, Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan of Atlanta told the meeting here of the World Methodist Council. ‘‘For an Archbishop of the Catholic Church to come before a distinguished assembly of Methodists is surely a sign of our times, of this brave new world of the ecumenical im pulse," the; Archbishop said. ‘‘Yet it is a blessed sign of this age that the bravery no longer lies in your inviting me, nor in my willingness to accept, but rather in our mutual courage to face the future." The World Methodist Council has 19,272,185 members throughout the world, 15 mil lion of them in North America. ‘‘We are witnesses of a great historic shift from what might be termed the ‘post-Reforma- tion centuries’ to a new period of Church history," the Arch bishop said. ‘‘It is marked, on the Catholic side, by a series of remarkable popes from Leo XIII to Paul VI; by a resurgence of Biblical and patristic studies, new pastoral methods, reform of the liturgy, and increased ecumenical concern and effort; and dramatically by a single momentous single event, the Se cond Vatican Council." The Archbishop stressed that this renovation and renewal is in no sense a turning back by the Church upon the past, ‘‘be cause the past is her inheri tance." "Yet," he said, "a new Ca tholic spirit is evident today— enkindled, under God, by our popes and bishops, preached and encouraged by our priests and teachers, put into practice by our people. . .It is not a spirit of disruption nor rejection. Much less is it one of compro mise with other beliefs, or of easy accommodation to the pressures of the world. “Certainly it is not merely a program of change for the sources of food its primary supply.""" 1 o.t — 'n't "Apparently it must be point ed out that the strategic hamlets are built and fortified by the people who live in them; no one is forced to move into these villages; and the inhabitants are free to come and go as they please. Typically, the farmers who live in the hamlets tend their fields or rice paddies out side the hamlets in the daytime, and retire at night to the ham lets, with their harvested crops, for security. "Other benefits accrue: Be cause of the community life to which some of these agrarian people have, for the first time, been exposed, a real grass roots democracy is being form ed. The residents of the ham lets are electing their own offi cials and making their own laws. Public welfare projects are being given a practical focus formerly impossible for the scattered rural population. With American material aid and technical assistance, wells are being dug, bridges built, and dispensaries and schools con structed. These are ‘concen tration camps’ ? "Your third protest: ‘The loss of American lives and billions of dollars to bolster a regime universally regarded as unjust, undemocratic, and un stable’ is fatuous. What, pre cisely, does the term ‘univer sally regarded’ mean?Obvious- ly, there is opposition in Viet nam to the Diem government. But my experience and obser vations have been that this op position is by no means univer sal here, where it matters most. "And what of the attitude of our own government? If opposi tion to the government of Viet nam were truly universal, it seems illogical that the repre sentative government of the United States would ‘bolster’ it. And certainly your com mittee would be the first to admit that the Diem government is at least tolerated by the Catholic Church, the most nu merous of Christian denomina tions. "Then we should examine the words ‘unjust,’ ‘undemocratic,’ and ‘unstable.’ "Most certainly wecouldfind examples of gross injustice in the Diem government—or any other government, or any other human institution, for that mat ter. We can also find examples of justice and wisdom and a dozen other virtues. It is useless to debate the point here. "As for ‘undemocratic,’ the government of Vietnam is quite definitely not a democratic form of government as we know it, but it does not pretend to be. It is known as ‘personalism’ — a term little known or under stood by Americans. A per- sonalistic government is to the right of center politically and to the left of center economically. It might well be the most effec tive and most desirable form of government for this new nation at this particular stage of its development. In any event, per sonalism is compatible with the basic tenents of democracy, of Christianity, of Buddhism, and of Judaism. It is not compati ble, however, with atheistic communism. " ‘Unstable?’ The Diem gov ernment has been in power for nine years—since Vietnam was divided by the Geneva Accords in 1954. There is no sign, in Vietnam at least, that the gov ernment is on the verge of col lapse. Describing a government as unstable, when it has been in power the equivalent of more than two of our own presidential terms, seems irrational. "It might be of interest to point out here that early this, year (February) the Diem gov ernment proclaimed a national policy of ‘open arms’ (chieu hoi) to induce defections from the ranks of the Viet Cong.In less than five months more than 7,300 people have returned from the communist fold. Defections in the opposite direction during the same period have been neg ligible. Quite an accomplish ment for a tottering govern ment. “Your fourth protest: ‘The fiction that this is "fighting for freedom’’ ’ is morally repre hensible. If the fight against communism—and therefore for freedom is going on any place in the world today, that place is Vietnam. "Mr. Roger Hilsman, Assis tant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, has said’Viet nam is the testing ground for communist guerilla strategy... Vietnam’s twilight war may rank as one of the decisive battles of world history. . .And effective counter against these guerilla tactics could be quite decisive to Western strategy in southeast Asia and eventually Africa and Latin America.’ "It is apparent to those of us living in Vietnam that the American troops who are risk ing their lives in support of this counterinsurgency war realize, quite literally, that they are ‘fighting for freedom.’ ” sake of change. It is essentially a transition in manner. ‘The substance of the ancient doc trine is one thing,’ said Pope John, ‘the way it is presented is another.’ This change in manner can flow only from a change in attitude; once this is done it can further issue into a change in approach." Referring to the Second Vati can Council, the Archbishop said that ‘'statistically the re sults seem rather meager," but "in the familiar language of ‘opening doors and windows,’ . . .the eight weeks of the first session were unforgettable for all of us who participated, un forgettable too for the Church, and it may well be unforgetta ble for the Christian society and the world at large." He added that it was probably the wide open debate at the council "that best caught the imagination of the world,” and that as a result of it "the popu lar picture of the Catholic Church as a vast monolith is badly shattered." But Officer. HONG KONG, (NC)—Whe ther in Hartford, Helsinki or Hong Kong, motorists the world over suffer the same pains. After completing his driv ing test in the British Crown Colony, Father John A. Ciop- pa, M. M., of Latham, N. Y., was ushered into the motor vehicle office. When the Maryknoll priests protested that his car was parked il legally in the street, the in spector pointed out that he couldn’t move it since he didn’t have a license yet. When Father Cioppa came out with his driver’s license, he was greeted with his first parking ticket. Signal well in advance of changes in direction to give other motorists a better change of avoiding an accident, advis es the Allstate Motor Club. Diocese Urged To Help Fight Racial Injustice ALEXANDRIA, La., (NC)— Bishop Charles P. Greco has urged Catholics of the Alexan dria diocese to help put an end to racial and other forms of dis crimination in this country. In doing so, the Bishop of Alexandria gave an answer to a question often asked: Why has the Church not taken upon it self the job of removing segre gation from the South? The Bishop said that if "the Church had undertaken to re move segregation from the Sou thern scene her effectiveness in carrying out her fundamental spiritual mission would have been seriously hampered. . .’’ Bishop Greco made the state ments in a pastoral letter read in all churches of the diocese (Aug. 4). He also said that "de segregation is inevitable" and that the Church has never ap proved of segregation as a matter of principle. The letter made no mention of desegregation of Catholic schools in the diocese, but Bi shop Greco said in a separate statement that integration of diocesan schools is not con templated until after public schools in the diocese are de segregated. "Certainly there can belittle room for doubt at this time that desegregation is inevitable," Bishop Greco said in his pas toral letter. "The Supreme Court has declared it to be the law of the land and has reaf firmed this decision at every challenge. "It will gradually be enforced in every part of our country. We earnestly appeal to our people to accept the inevitable with understanding and re straint, with true Christian charity and an awakened sense of justice, with good grace and characteristic American fair ness." Bishop Greco stated that in the quest for racial justice, the Negro, too, has obligations and responsibilities. "Education is needed on the part of the Negro to elevate himself so that he can merit acceptance as did other people and nationalities, in the course of the development of our American nation," the Bishop continued. “An example in this regard should be taken from those immigrants of the last century who, when they first came to our shores, were given worse than segregated treat ment. "Through hard work and edu cation, however, these people and their children of the next two generations carved a high place for themselves in the American culture and won the esteem and approbation of their fellow citizens. "In like manner, our Negroes must work conscientiously to prepare themselves to exercise adequately not only their rights but the obligations and respon sibilities that are theirs as children of God, and as loyal, respectable and law abiding citizens.’’ In recalling the pattern of segregation in the South, the Bishop said the white people "observed various denomina tions building churches, schools and universities for the Negro and were often asked to contri bute to them.” "This they frequently did,” he continues, "and in the pro cess of it all received the deep er conviction that segregation had the blessing of the churches, and hence that of God. “Furthermore, our Catholic people, particularly in the South, witnessed archbishops, bishops, clergy and Religious —and I myself was among them —building separate churches, schools and a university for Negroes. They were also aware that during the past decades there were no Negro students in our better known Catholic colleges and. universities Savannah Training Institute Planned By Deanery SAVANNAH—Plans for a one day training institute were an nounced by the Savannah Dean ery Council of Catholic Women at their first executive board meeting of the 1963-1964 sea son . The details of the insti tute, to be held in September, will be announced in the near future. The Right Rev. JohnD. Toom- ey, Diocesan Moderator, open ed the meeting with a prayer to Our Lady of Good Council, Pa troness of the National Council of Catholic Women. Mrs. Ed mund Anderson, President of the Savannah Council, presided over the meeting where the var ious Committee Chairmen pre sented their plans for the com ing year covering all phases of Catholic Action. Mrs. Anderson also introduced Mrs. W. P. Schneider, Chairman for the forthcoming 25th Annual Dio cesan Convention to be held in HIS CAUSE ADVANCED—The Sacred Congregation of Rites has examined the heroic nature of the virtues of Father Gaspare Bertoni, founder of the Stigmatine Fathers. He was born at Verona, Italy, October 9, 1777, and was ordained June 17, 1800. He founded the Congregation of Pirests of the Holy Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ in 1816 and died at Verona June 12, 1853. His beatification cause was introduced in 1906.—(NC Photos) Savannah in April of 1964. The Notre Dame Book Shop will be featured at the first fall Deanery meeting, to be held at Hunter Air Force Base on Sep tember 26, 1963, on the oc casion of their 10th anniver sary. Hunter’s Society of Our Lady of the Air will be hosts to the Deanery. The new Deanery Board of Directors are as follows: Pres ident, Mrs. Anderson; 1st Vice President, Mrs. A. K. Gannam; 2nd Vice President, Mrs. Ira Smith; 3rd Vice President, Mrs. Edward Prieto; Recording Sec retary, Mrs. Leon Blackburn; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. A. J. Schano; Treasurer, Mrs. W. P. Schneider; Parliamen tarian, Mrs. Lee Howard, Sr.; Catholic Charities, Mrs. J. J. Miller and Mrs. F. R. Mac- Cauley; Civil Defense, Mrs. Harold Markowitz; Confrater nity of Christian Doctrine, Mrs. Edward Prieto; Family and Parent Education. (Continued On Page 6) throughout the country until recently; they were also aware that there were no Negro priests in the diocesan and reli gious clergy until recent times. . ." "Thus, from what they saw, our Southern Catholics formed their conscience as to the moral lawfulness of segregation. They concluded that if the Church practiced it, it must be right and therefore had the approval of God." Bishop Greco, said, however, "it must be made clear that the Church did not approve segre gation as a matter of principle, as though the color of a man’s skin should determine his value in the eyes of God or his equality before the law of the land.” "No, the Church worked with in the framework of an existing segregated society,” he said, "because, true to her nature, she considered the care of indi vidual souls, the administration of the sacraments and Chris tian education her primary and essential task. "The initiation of social re forms could not be allowed to take precedence over the all- important work of sanctifying souls. Had the Church under taken to remove segregation from the Southern scene, her effectiveness in carrying out her fundamental spiritual mis sion would have been seriously hampered, and many souls would have gone without the su pernatural graces that could come to them only from having the Church active in their midst." Warning that "we must not rush to eliminate one evil if it means creating another and an even worse one in its place," the Bishop added: "There are, therefore, and indeed always have been certain regrettable situations which the Church could not approve of in theory or in principle, but to which she could adapt herself in practice in order to carry on her spiri tual work with the greatest pos sible effectiveness." “Thus , the Church adapted herself to the caste system-in India," he said, "not in approval of it but in order to be of great er service to souls, hoping' th'St J in time the teaching of Christ and His way of life would pre vail and solve the difficult social problem.” "We pray God," Bishop Greco concluded, "to help us put an end to discrimination based merely on race, color, creed or national background— and to do this out of love for God, as more in keeping with the law of brotherly love proclaim ed by Christ, in adherence to the appeals of our supreme pontiffs, and out of consideration for the best interests and prestige of our country." 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