The Catholic times. [volume], December 19, 1952, Image 4

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4
THE
CATHOLIC T1MFF
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6 Everybody’s Doing It!”
Not many decades ago there was a song, quite
popular at the time, which took its title from the
words. ‘‘Everybody’s doing it. doing it, doing it.”
The general theme was to arouse the listener to
joining in the lun proposed by the song. Which was
good. However, the principle that something is to be
done because everyone else is doing it. can lead
people into evil ways. To be sure, no one wants to
be stand-offish, snobbish, or a wall flower. On the
other hand, it is something short of evil to play upon
this desire of people to get them to do wrong.
The other day a news report brought the infor
mation that some of the people under examination
by the U. S. Justice Department had given as an ex
cuse for their alleged criminal actions that "every
body else was doing it.” A weak excuse, surely but
one that must be met. It is the old sin of human re
spect. People are afraid of what their friends and
neighbors will say about them. Sometimes they seem
to fear this a great deal more than they fear the
wrath of God Himself. Nevertheless, the situation is
there, and is prevalent enough to cause concern.
It should be realized from all this that it is most
Important to train children to do good because it is
right and not because nf what people may say about
them The value of good morals in a child's home
training and education must he evident. How can a
person he expected to stand up against temptation,
especially that of “everybody's doing it,” if he has
not learned early to do what is right no matter
what the cost?
If this same force of human respect could be
lined up on the side of good: if it could be used tn
induce people to honesty in business and com
merce. to justify in industry and labor, to kind
ness and thoughtfulness in all human relations, one
could only imagine the tremendous upsurge in virtue
that would result. Rut here, too, the merit would be
greater if good were done betause it is the right
thing to do. and not just because ‘‘evervhody’s do
ing if"
Christmas All Year Long
One of the most encouraging signs this year was
the growing response to the campaign of “Keeping
Christ in Christmas.” More and more people, the
country over have been doing their bit to replace
the pagan trappings of Christmas and clothe Chnst
mastidc with the true garments of Christian cele
bration.
There has been an extended use of the Advent
Wreath in our homes. Many have made the Crib
the center of decoration in the house instead of
the Christmas tree alone. From all reports, there
has been an increasing demand for religious Christ
mas cards.
This external switch from the silly, pagan atmos.
phere so wide spread heretofore is a healthy sign.
May it grow from year to year. This is just the be
ginning but a healthy beginning nonetheless.
With all this emphasis nn the external, however,
we might be lead to consider it ax an ultimate
goil It is not. At the best it will only he the ex
pression of an internal rebirth of Christ in the
hearts of men.
If we are to miss qualifying for the nasty label
of “hypocrites” the change from the pagan celehra
tion of Christmas to the true Christian spirit must
be matched and preceded by a corresponding
change within ourselves.
It is to be hoped that men will begin to realize
that the Christmas spirit is the expression of the
Christmas spirit. Somethow or other, it has come to
be regarded as something seasonal Something that
is wonderful, enjoyable, something that is good
and needful hut nevertheless something that is
ephemeral and passing.
This is the greatest fallacy about Christmas and
Christians Tn misunderstand the message of Christ
mas, to confine it to a few days or weeks during the
year is tn garble and confuse the message nf
Christianity
The big mistake is tn make our "Spirit nf Christ
mas” coincide with our external celebration of the
Feast of Christmas We cannot take down our Christ
mas spirit when we take down our Christmas dec
orations Tn dn so is to make our Christianity as
useless as last year’s Christmas tree
Give To (ihrisl
The sharing of the gnnd things we have with
those we love at hnstmastide is nne nf the nnbler
Christmas traditions Rased on the Gospel narrative
nf the three gift bearing kings who brought their
tnkens of friendship and love to the King of Kings
on the first Christmas, this exchange of gifts Is an
expression of Christian love and devotion
It is rue that commercialization has tended tn
taint and cheapen this custom Viewed correctly,
however, it still remains a good and wholesome
thing It is not the gift, hut the spirit in which it
is given” is the common saying which characterizes
the true spirit of this time honored practice
Although custom dictates that this should be a
mutual giving and receiving, an exchange, the
thought of a recompense is not uppermost in the
mind nf the giver Proceeding from motives of
Christian Charity, it is the principle of selfless giv
Ing that hallows the act
A most beautiful example nf this Christinas gn
ing is the tradition in this Diocese of Columbus of
making a special contribution on Christmas Day to
the orphans, the homeless, the sick and the dost)
tute of the Diocese Here there is no thought of
return just the toy of giving No thought of return
yes—but this certain knowledge In giving to Christ's
‘little ones" we give to Him Xnd He will not be
outdone this exchange
A Code or Censorship.
Which?
The sins committed in the name of freedom are
too numerous to mention Whenever there is any
mention of restraint or of censorship, the cry is
raised loud and strong that some fundamental free
dom is being denied. No one seems very much con
cerned about their duties toward others or toward
the common welfare the whole concern is for in
dividual rights.
Of course, nn nne likes censorship Rut when
people are too weak to do what is right without some
authoritative direction, they must expect regulaion
for their own good. The Ten Commandments were
given to man by a loving Father for this very reason.
Laws are quite frequently made to promote the
common welfare and to protect from the weakness
of a minority. The abuse of the few sometimes caus
es trouble for all.
And now comes the proposal to have censorship
of printed matter. The Columbus Citizen is against
it. but in the same issue that it editorializes against
it there appeared a sizable news article telling of
the good results from the TV Code adopted some
months ago. Whether it be voluntary or not. a code
such as that adopted by the TV industry is censor
ship. And it has produced good results. Why then is
the Citizen against any censorship of printed matter,
especially in view of the findings of the Congres
sional committee investigating the situation?
If the pnniers and publishers, including the
Columbus Citizen, were to adopt a code of decency
voluntarily, there would be no need for Congress to
think of a law of censorship. But when people are
too weak to adopt their own rules of good conduct,
rules that will protect them from their own weak
nesses. then they must expect to have someone else
come along with authority to protect them from
themselves and to hinder them from harming their
fellow-citizens.
It is interesting how many there are to stand up
to defend the right of the fellow who wishes to com.
mit sin but so few to help a neighbor along the
path to -virtue and goodness. Intelligent, educated
people could be expected to be on the side of the
latter.
Just Among Ourselves
Patting Commant Contiderad or Incontidorata
The current number of Coronet has the most re
cent of the seasonal “littlest” stones.—about a
stork, of all things. Truly, there is no end of absurdi.
ties. Well, a stork probably serves as well as any
thing else—such as the littlest doughnut or the
littlest snpw drop, or the littlest mince pie,—as a
point of departure from an emotional spree among
weird caricatures of heaven and even of Almighty
God.
0
And a stork actually can he little, and even “lit
tlest” if you like haby talk Angels cannot. “The Lit
tlest Angel" heads the list of these latter day non
sensj narratives which touch Christmas tangibly as an
excuse for sentimental d.t.'s, and an orgy of doctrinal
errors.
Since Loretta Young, who should have known
better, put the thing on recordings a few years ago.
children up and down the land have been distracted
from the glory of the true Christmas story to
absorb a large dose of misinformation about angels.
And countless mothers have grown misty-eyed over
the “sweetness” of this tall and tiresome tale.
If a person would have the true and noble emo
lion suitable to Christmas time, let him disregard
all the fictional fatuities and the “littlest” stories,
and read the account of Our Lord’s Birth as re
ported in the second chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel.
Not all the hoop-la of Hollywood, nor the pedestrian
fancies of the saccharine sentimentalists, can come
within miles of the power of this straightforward
yet deeply touching narrative. And this is the ex
planation of what Christmas really it.
What has got into Christian people that they
leave the feast of then father's house for husks cast
out by strangers? There has heen for many years
a kind of spiritual fifth column among us. working
within Christian ranks to rob Christianity of its mean
ing Almost certainly this fifth column is not con
sciously formed, nor are its tactics knowingly plan
ned But there is a power which can use human folly
to shape a powerful strategy.
It is true that, in the joy of Christmas, every
creature of God should awaken a happy and seasonal
thought, even a dopey spaniel or a henbhoned cat.
Ruf when the sources of incidental rejoicing usurp
the place of the central fact which gives them, sig
nificance the result is chaos. Then we have the top
sy-turvydom of the modern Christmas time, when
a salesman can say without smiling, "sorry all our
Christmas cards are gone nothing left hut relig
inns ones” (Wheeze reported in a recent magazine)
The giving of gifts at this time is a good and
gracious thing if it reminds giver and receiver of the
Gift that came upon earth for all mankind when God
Himself was horn as man to be our Redeemer. The
legend of Santa Claus is understandable and accept
ahlc if it holds its first meaning that one of God’s
saints is good to children to make them aware of
Infinite Goodness overflowing through the Divine
Child upon all the children of men
How far we have strayed from the proper un
rierstanding and the true spirit of Christmas giv
ing, and even of Santa Claus. We have made the
exchange of gifts a matter of sheer uorldhness. of
hig business, of trouble of expense, of running into
debt, and with no thought of Christ or His Birth
day and of what that should mean Io us all. We have
multiplied Santa Claus into a commercial legion of
hotly clothed duffers who look more than a little
ridiculous even to five-year olds. And Santa Claus
is regarded by those young enough to have any re
banco upon him at all. not as a saint with a holy mes
sage and a blessing and a kindly gift, but as a con
suitant and intermediary who may be employed for
purposes of personal and selfish gain
No more do we enter upon the Christmas season
with reverence and holy desire Now’ we wander in
a winter wonderland, dreaming of a white Christ
mas We chirrup to the children about Frosty the
Snow man. and remind them that they had better
watch out for Santa Claus is coming to town. We
sigh for two front teeth, and cry out that we saw
mama kissing Santa Claus or papa kissing the red
nosed reindeer.
Or. in a serious and pensive mood, we tell each
other a “littlest” story. The littlest angel, the lit
tlest stork the littlest bill from the gift shop,—any
thing “littlest” is sure to be touching and "sweet.”
One story we seldom tell and seldom hear one thing
we seldom suggest: "Lot us go over to Bethlehem,
and sec this word which is come to pass.”
If we are going to nut Christ hack into Christmas,
we will have to begin by putting Him into our
hearts Little can come out of a camnaign to erase
cats and puppies from Christmas cards, the Christ
mas card business for that matter, is itself a great
commercial racket, even when the cards are of the
“religious" variety
Our work of putting Christ into Christmas is the
work of living devoted Catholic lives. If all who
know Christ, and acknowledge His Godhead, were
to arouse themselves to an active loyalty to Him
and to His Church, our tight would shine before
men and. seeing our good works, they would give
glory to God Too many of us are merely going
along, in fact and in spirit, with the pagan and com
mercial celebration of Christmas.
I-et us put Christ into Christians, and we shall
find that Christ has been put back into Christmas.
THE CATHOLIC TIMES, FRIDAY. DECEMBER 19. 1952
WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON—(NO— The
latest Soviet Russian peace of
fensive received some stinging
rebukes even before the Reds
could open their "Congress of
Peoples for Peace” in Vienna.
The free peoples of the world
were better prepared for this
communist maneuver than they
were for any earlier Moscow
tricks along this line. As a re
sult, it is felt here that the West
may hope that the Vienna con
vention will he a boopierang to
the Reds in many respects. For
one thing, it is pointed out. it
was well publicized on the very
eve of the Vienna “peace” con
gress that virtually every bov
and girl in Soviet Russia is re
ceiving military training todax.
But no one was more coura
geous, nor put the Soviet "peace”
maneuver in better perspective,
than His Eminence Theodor Car
dinal Innitzer, Archbishop of
Vienna, where the Red "peace”
congress was hold his Coadjutor
Archbishop Franz Jachym his
Auxiliary, Bishop Leo Pietsch,
and Dr. Gerhard May. leading
Bishop of the Evangelical
Church in Austria.
Just five days before the
scheduled opening of the R”d
“peace." they took part in a
public consideration of peace
from the viewpoint of Christian
EITHER HIGGINS
Upon our return from the re
cent CIO convention in Atlantic
City, we immediately re-read the
book about the
newly elected
pres ident of
(TO "The V. A.
only full-length
W. and Wal
ter Ruether’*
by Irving Howe
and B. J. Wid
ick Published
o ri ginally in
the fall of ’49,
at a time when
Ruether was
still struggling
consolidate his
desperately to
strength as president of a divid
ed UAW. this book is even more
pertinent in the fall of ‘52 as
Reuthi faces up to the more
delicate and more challenging
task of consolidating his strength
as president of a divided CIO
Widick and Howe publicly and
formally raise the all-important
question discussed over and over
again, privately and informally,
by the opposition at the Atlan
tic City convention What is Reu
ther’s underlying philosophy of
trade unionism? Another, more
indelicate, way of phiasmg this
question would be: Is Walter
Reuther basically a socialist at
heart?
Some of his political oppon
ents in the CIO are inclined tn
answer this question in the af
firmative. Widick and Howe, good
socialists that they are. would
like to be able to do that but are
forced to conclude—however re
luctantly—that only time will
tell whether Reuther has irrevoc
ably abandoned the socialist faith
of his early youth and is merely
keeping quiet about it temporar
ily for reasons of political strat
egy*. To them he is still an "un
finished personality.” Presum­
‘For God So Loved The World'
Prelates Rap Red 'Peace' Aims
truth and charity in the same
hall that was to accomodate the
Red gathering.
The Cardinal told the world
that His Holiness Pope Pius XII
has worked harder for the peace
ful settlement of international
disputes than has any diplomat.
He called the communists alleg
ed fighters for peace, and said
that before asking Christian co
operation in the promotion of
peace they should stop their
“most radical of all wars, their
war against Christ, the Prince
of Peace.”
Archbishop Jachym declared
that those who talk of peace
while sowing hatred and discord
are "hypocrites”.
And then, as 2.000 delegates
began to assemble for com
munism’s greatest attempt io
make Moscow appear the real
champion of peace, reports of
diplomats of Western nations
wore given out.
They said that in the Iron cur
tain countries of Eastern Europe
the Reds are forming a genera
tion of military-minded youths
who are fanatically anti-western
in their outlook and willing to
die for Stalin and Soviet Rus
sia.
From the age of six. children,
the diplomats said, are taught tn
Reuther's Underlying Philosophy
ably the major purpose in writ
ing their semi-flattering, semi
cntical biography of •Reuther
and his international union was
to try to persuade him to get off
the fence—to declare himself,
once and for all, in favor of es
tablishment of a labor party with
a socialist ideology.
Enough of a Raalut
Our own opinion is that Reuth
er has long since abandoned his
former socialist faith and that
the added responsibility of pre
siding over the affairs of the
national CIO will have the sober
ing effect of dampening, if not
completely extinguishing, his in
terest in a socialist labor party.
He will, of course, continue to
stress the importance and indeed
the necessity of political action
on (he part of the CIO and its
affiliates But he will be enough
of a realist to place his major
emphasis nn the essential eco
nomic functions of the CIO.
He will not be doctrinaire He
will not look to political action
as a panacea, and certainly will
not attempt to identify the good
name of the CIO with the so
cialist ideology If he does, it
would be safe to pronhesy
that his term of office will be
very stormy and very brief, for
the membership of the CIO is al
most unanimously anti-socialist.
ACTU Plan Mor. “Radical”
This is very inaccurate report
ing on the part of Widick and
Howe They ought to know that
the Detroit ACTU certainly did
not support Reuther merely as an
anti-communist. ACTU supported
Reuther because he seemed to
he subscribing to the philosophy
of the Industry Council Plan
which, according to our own
definition of the term, is much
more “radical” (the favorite ad
jective of Widick and Howe) than
0
believe that the United States
and the other Western powers
plan war.
An English-language broadcast
over Vatican Radio also exposed
the true character of the Red
“Congress of Peoples for Peace.
Father Antonio Ferri. S. J., said
in this broadcast that Commun
ists openly admit that under cer
tain conditions and in certain
areas, peace may be transform
ed into a struggle for Socialism.
Father Ferri added:
“With violence and revolution,
Communists are determined to
promote materialism in the
world and society. History teach
es that this communist ideology
in practice uses all the methods
it can calumny, threats and
violence when the proposed
good of the proletariat so re
quires. It even goes to the ex
treme of civil and international
wars.
‘Therefore, that peace, today
sn much desired by us all, may
tomorrow be changed into some
thing completely different, as
Stalin himself openly admits.
It is clear and evident that such
a movement in favor of peace
is nothing but a means to an
end which is certainly not Christ
ian and most certainly anti
Christian.”
the political approach of a labor
party.
It is our hope and prayer that
Routher will continue to sub
scribe to this philosophy and
that he will use his tremendous
talents as a labor leader to has
ten the praetical application of
this philosophy in the major
industries of the United States
Widick and Howe tell us very
frankly in the concluding pages
of their very thought provoking
book that the so-called “radical
wing of the Reuther group” in
the UAW is a “heterogeneous
assortment of socialists, semi-so
cialists and militant unionists."
They express the earnest hope
that this group "will yet have the
opportunity to wi.. the union to
its ideas and programs.” T’ ey are
entitled to their opinion but,
fortunately, they are not ex
pressing the opinion of the ma
jority of the members of the
CIO.
Time Will Tell
We ourselves would express
the earnest hope—which is un
doubtedly shared by the major
ity of CIO members—that Reu
ther, for the good of the CIO as
well as for his own reputation
as one nf the most intelligent la
bor leaders in the United States,
will dissassociate himself from
this "hetergeneous assortment”
of doctrinaire- (and sometimes
anti-religious reformers). If they
latch on to his coattails in his
new role as president of the CIO.
they can cause him a lot of very
serious trouble I would hate to
see this happen, for I have tre
mendous respect for the ability
and integrity of Walter Reuther.
He is a great labor leader. May
the good Ixird give him the cour
age and the wisdom he will need
to carry out successfully the
cnorm''" responsibilities of his
new office.
INQUIRY CORNER
What Are Principal
Rosary Indulgences
Q. Did the Magi come at
Christmas to the stable?
A. According to St. Luke's ac
count of the Presentation of the
Christ Child in the Temple it
followed forty days of purifica
tion required by the Law. (Luke
2:22). Also St. Matthew refers
to the coming of the Magi: “and
entering the house,” (Matthew
2:11) in Bethlehem, indicating
that it was not the stable, and
that it probably occurred later.
Their sudden departure and the
equally sudden flight of the Holy
Family would exclude the Pre
sentation in the Temple coming
after the Magi Their arrival
must have been nearly two
months, and some say a year,
after the birth of Christ. (See
Prat’s “Jesus Christ” Volume I
“Life of Christ” by Ricciotti)
Q. What are the principal Ros
ary indulgences?
A. There is a plenary indul
gence for reciting the rosary in
the presence of the Blessed Sac
rament, for praying it anywhere
if it has the Crosier. Bridgetine
nr Dominican blessing. A plenary
indulgence is also available twice
a month for the family rosary,
and five years indulgence even
if the beads do not have the
above special blessings (ten years
if in the company of others, pub
licly or privately).
Q. 18 the Catholic Church
democratic9
A. Perhaps the outstanding
Pope in recent years was the son
of a village cobbler, whose edu
cation was furthered by the kind
ness of neighbors and friends.
Blessed Pius in his origin and
in his acts as Pope illustrates the
genuine democracy of the Cath
olic Church. Actually democracy
its stricter meaning applies
only to forms of political organ
ization. and in that narrow sense
the Church is not democratic.
God sent Christ, the Son of God.
Who sent His Apostles. No one
person or group of persons can
vote or choose in faith and mor
als other than God’s way. “As the
Father has sent me. I also send
you." (John 20:22) In its concern
for everyone, regardless of rac
ial or financial differences, the
Catholic Church has always been
democratic, and its teaching es
tablished the principles for dem
ocratic government. The modern
move to make a religion of de
mocracy is another thing, and th?
Catholic Church insists that God
must be obeyed.
Q. W'hat is the bishop's staff
RICHARD P4TTEE
The veteran gladiator of
French politics, Edouard Her
riot, let an atom bomb drop
his speech some weeks ago to
the Radical
Party* confer
ence in Bor
deaux. For a
long time criti
cism of the
United States
and its policy
had heen com
ing from the
disgruntled left
or, at best,
from the De
Gaulle fac
tion which
sounds off
periodically with extraordinary
solemnity. But the Hernott
speech cannot be dismissed as
so much balderdash, unrepre
sentative of sound French think
ing
It is plain that Franco-Amer
ican relations have reached an
extremely serious iqipasse and
that feelings are now running
increasingly high, especially on
the European side. It behooves
Americans to give the most care
ful attention to why French re
action is whaf it is. There is
too much tendency among our
people to dismiss this sort of
thing as incidental and merely
irritating, without any signific
ance aside from its revelation of
w’hat is assumed to be base in
gratitude for favors received.
I have been lecturing recent
ly on this and kindred subjects
and. note that, almost without
exception, questions are raised
by persons in the audiences re
garding the unwillingness of Eu
rope especially France and
Britain to toe the American
party line more rigidly. I have
tried to point out the source of
European objections—not as a
defense of what Europe thinks
and says but in an effort to
get the viewpoint and possibly
clear up the cause of so much
misunderstanding.
Confusion Grows
The period of the presidential
campaign and the lapse of time
until the new president takes of
fice have contributed directly to
the feeling of confusion, even
consternation, in Europe Diplom
acy and power politics wait on
no man. The total paralysis con
trolling American action for
about four months is alarming.
So is the uncertainty that, once
it is installed, the new regime
will be ahle to take effective ac
tion without considerable delay.
In this atmosphere of dread
at
American incapacity to act if
called? What is the symbolism
of its parts?
A. The crosier, usually a metal
tube, plated with silver or gold,
is the staff of the apostolic of
fice. According to the Catholic
Encyclopedia the symbolism is as
follows: the crook symbolizes the
care to be exercised by the bish
op as shepherd of the flock, es
pecially those who wander from
the fold. The pointed lower end
represents the duty of the bishop
to goad on or stir up the spirit
ually indifferent. The tall staff
itself signifies that he should
support the weak. The bishop
carries it in his left hand with
the crook turned toward the peo
ple. while other prelates turn it
inward.
Q. How can a Protestant re
ceive the Sacrament of Matri
mony? Is not the intention of
receiving a sacrament essent
ial?
A. For a valid sacrament the
minister (the couple in marriage)
must have the intention of mak
ing and administering a sacra
ment, “at least of doing what the
Church does.” (Council of Trent)
The adult receiving a sacrament
must have a positive intention to
receive it except in Penance and
Matrimony, in which cases an
habitual intention suffices. A
Protestant certainly can receive
the Sacrament of Matrimony,
provided he has at least an inten
tion beforehand which includes
the Christian sacredness of the
contract and does not exclude
any essential point.
Q. Has any Pope ever re
signed?
A. Saint Celestine V. was
a
Benedictine, living the life of
a
hermit when he was chosen to
succeed Pope Nicholas IV. In
1294 after a pontificate of five
months he resigned. His short
career as Pope was proof that it
was not his true vocation, as his
retirement and innocence was
the occasion of many evils. His
personal holiness, ho ever, was
evidenced by his canonization in
1313.
Q. What is the Catholic Uni
versity?
A. Founded in 1889 and con
ducted by the bishops of the
United States this University in
Washington, D.C., is designed to
promote and make available Ca
tholic scholarships in all fields
of scholastic endeavor.
Send questions to the Rev.
Edward F. Healey, Inquiry Cor
ner. The Catholic Times, Box
636. Columbus (16) Ohio.
Confusion In France
called upon, confusion regarding
the whole communist evil grows.
It is plain from numerous artic
les in the French press that pub
lic opinion in that country simp
ly does not understand the ex
traordinary severity with re
spect to a former communist
teaching in some obscure city
school, compared to the naivete
with which fundamental secrets
of state and atomic energy have
beer stolen with menace not
only to the USA hut to its al
lies The impression made is
that either the door is wide open
for the entrance of any com
munist who may wish to pene
trate the United States, or that
congressional action has become
so rigid that anyone who gave
lip service to the Nazis in 1940
to escape death is denied for
ever entrance into the country.
U hy not a little serenity, com
mon sense and logic in the whole
business?
Claims Without Clarity
A French friend of mine re
cently paid his first visit to the
States His impression is that of
what may be called the rank and
file thinking of Frenchmen
He
w’as horrified at the confusion,
the wishful thinking, and the
agony of indecision which seems
to distinguish everything. In the
midst of the recent campaign the
major instinct seemed to be
get out of the Korea mess. Ob
viously, all countries get into
messes, hut world powers that
proclaim their leadership either
avoid compromising messes or
once in them, go about the maL
ter of settlement more gracefully
and effectively. This floundering
about, without any idea at all as
to how it came to pass, is the
most disconcerting aspect in the
Korean problem. The French de
mand above all clarity poli
tics. Positions may be absurd or
even criminal, but the French
like to know what the issues are
and to have them expressed with
logic and clearness. The voice of
America to the world is not
speaking in those tones. And
confusion in speaking to the
world reflects in confusion at
home.
This is an honest appraisal. I
think, of the first thing that
stuns Frenchmen today: the
claims and reality of leadership
without the clarity of thought
and expression that inevitably
must go with it. leadership re
quires audacity, courage and
a
flair for the winning of wills.
The French know something
about leadership after Napoleon.
And they fail to see it under the
new dispensation.