The Catholic times. [volume], February 18, 1955, Image 4

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4—THE CATHOLIC TIMES
Friday, February 18.1955
THE
CATHOLIC TIMES
Published Every Week by
The Catholic Times, Inc.
Columbus. Ohio
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Christian Warfan* rime
The holy season nf Lent can truly be described
as the time of Christian warfare It is a time ot last,
ing and penance, and hence, of interior purifica
tion and spiritual renewal. It focuses attention upon
the early doctrine of the two ways, the way of lit*'
and the wav of death. Happy is he who fears God,
hut woe to the godless. It is the purpose of lenl to
enable the soul to wage battle against all inclination
to follow the godless way and to renew and
strengthen its resolution to seek only God.
This doctrine of the two ways was dear to the
parly Church. We see it in the Communion chants
hy Pope Gregory I for the workdays of l*nt. He
used the first twenty-six psalms in numerical order.
Fhe first psalm, called the “preface of the Holy
Ghost" hy St. Jerome, outlines the central theme
of the majority of the psalms, which is indeed the
doctrine of the two ways. It is, therefore an admir
able choice for the beginning of l*nt.
The deeper significance of Lent then, is in
the conflict between spirits, the gigantic struggle
between light and darkness. It is the purpose of
lxnt. not merely to instruct through the riches of
the liturgy of this holy season, but especially to
renew the Church and souls individually in grace.
It is a time, as it were, of second baptism. Just as
Baptism gives spiritual life to the soul, so also
Ihrough penance and self-denial the soul is again
turned from sin, strengthened in virtue and re
stored tn a life of grace or given an increase in
grace.
The first sad Ash Wednesday was in the garden
of paradise when Almighty God spoke to Adam
and Eve in these words “Remember, man. that thou
art dust!" The ashes used today are obtained from
the olive branches blessed on the preceding Palm
Sunday The ceremony is merely a relic of the sol
emn ritual performed by the bishop with public
penitents Whoever had committed a grave, public
sin was hound to submit to public penance at the
beginning of l*nt This penance consisted primar
ily in exclusion from the community's Eucharistic
services, but also included prayer and penance.
It was a moving ceremony. The penitent was given
s penitential garb and his head strewn with ashes.
The hishop would then lead him to the door of the
church This “expulsion’’ served as a stern warning
tn all the faithful.
During the centuries the Church mitigated her
penitential discipline. During the Middle Ages it
became the custom for the faithful at large to vol
untarily dedicate themselves to various penances
hy receiving the sacred ashes Charlemagne was
among the nohilitv who gave good example in
joining the throng and barefoot asked for the sacred
dust. Such is the custom to this day, and Christians
everywhere will take courage for their spiritual
warfare against the powers of darkness by receiv
ing the cross of ashes and listening to the warning:
“Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust
thou shall return'"
Labor Union Merger
It is cheering news to Americans to learn of
the harmony finally arranged between the two
great labor organizations, the American Federation
of labor and the Congress ot Industrial Organiza
tions. This has long been desired One evil, at least
should he ended with the merger of the two groups
viz., strikes called because of conflict between the
two unions Surely now it can be hoped that man
agement will not be placed “in the middle" because
nf differences between labor groups.
Without doubt there is another benefit to be ex
pected from the new harmony With labor's forces
now united, their position becomes stronger. And
this has come at a time when efforts to weaken
and destroy unions have made quite some headway.
What are called “right-to-work" laws have been
enacted in several states, and are being considered
in others. Such laws prohibit the union from de
manding union membership as a condition for em
ployment. With some study it can be seen that this
would lead to an effective breaking of unionism.
It would he a short sighted policy for management
to espouse the movement to enact “back to-work"
laws.
This is not to condone abuses in a union. The
remedy for them is not to be found in destroying
(he union Attack fhe abuse but do not destroy
the union itself Other associations exercise their
right to draw up regulations for their members.
This is true in medical and legal professions, and
in leaching. So also the laborer automatically ac
cepts definite obligations and responsibilities
when he accepts a job. And the greater the num
her of his fellow-workers, the greater may be the
number of regulations for mutual security, and
for the security and welfare of the whole industry,
including the employer 'The individual must sub
mit to these rules. It follows, that if employer and
union agiee n collective bargmning that union
security is necessary for bettei relationships, then
any future laborer coming to that place of employ
ment must also accept the condition of union
security.
Ihe President Korgels Us
The President’s Message to Congress asking for
aid for schools was outstanding, if not tragic, in
Its omission of all reference to non-tax-supported
schools. It is significant that not a single school,
other than tax-supported, will benefit from his plan
if Congress accepts it.
This is tragic news to millions of American citi
zens, loyal and true They wonder how the Presi
dent could forget. They are not forgotten hy the
tax collector. Nor are their sons forgotten by the
President when he issues his special invitations to
serve their country in the armed forces. The Pres
ident seems to put much stock in religion and
prayer, but quite evidently has concluded that re
ligion must not be mixed with the intellectual train
ing of the nation’s youth By his neglect of this
great mass of American children he is placing a
premium on education without religion.
It is our experience that the nonCatholic peo
ple of this nation arc quite appreciative of the pri
vate non-tax-supported school. Very few of them
see any danger to the nation in such schools on
Ihe contrary, millions of them would welcome the
opportunity, if they could afford it, to place their
nun children in these very schools so that they
might receive moral as well as intellectual train
ing. The question ought to be pointedly asked and
answered: Who leads the campaign to keep the Ca
tholic children of this nation in the position of second
rate citizens, or as some sort of step-children when it
comes to enjoying the aid of the government in
education? Yes, who are the leaders? They defin
itely are not our non-Catholic neighbors of our local
communities with whom we live and work.
If the government is to discriminate against
the great segment of privately conducted public
schools, then the government must accept the con
clusion that it stands in favor of tax-supported
schools only, and has no time for the children as
such of the people who help to pay the taxes. “If
you want help, get in the tax-supported schools,’’
is what the President says in effect. He cannot es
cape that. Will he forget us if he succeeds with
his pct UMT plan? It's not likely.
Congress, thank God. has never adopted such a
position. It remains to be seen whether or not a
Congress which has always given aid to the citizen
as such will now adopt a new principle of aiding
only those who line up under the government di
rected type of education.
America is the only great nation, other than
those behind the Iron Curtain, that does not help
privately conducted non-tax-supported schools.
Just Among Ourselves
Pasting Comment Considered or Inconsiderate
“The world has few greater pleasures than that
which two friends enjoy in tracing back, at»some
distant time, those transactions and events through
which they have passed together. One of the old
man’s miseries is that he cannot easily find a com
panion able to partake with him of the past.”
Thus wrote Doctor Samuel Johnson, on Febru
ary 3, 1778, in a letter to his friend Saunders
Welch. Esq., who was traveling in Italy with his
daughter Anne. Dr. Johnson felt that the travelers
would have much satisfaction in reminding each
other later of incidents of the trip. He wrote, "You
(Mr. Welch) have traveled with this felicity ....
that your companion is not to part from you at your
journey’s end, but you are to live together, to help
each other's recollections and to supply each
other’s omissions.”
All very true, no doubt. And yet it is to he
considered that the great pleasure in store for the
traveling father and daughter during subsequent
years is likely enough to be anything but a pleas
ure to their kinsfolk and acquaintance. Can't you
easily imagine a neighbor remarking,—after the
Welches have come home, and have had a year or
two in which to ripen and enrich their memories,
—‘They are fine people,—if only they would give
over that everlasting rehash of 1heir continental
trip?" Can’t you hear this, “It's got so that I feel
like running every time I catch sight of old Saun
ders Welch. If I’ve got to listen to his description
of Hadrian’s tomb once more, I'll scream."
As for supplying omissions and helping each
other’s recollections, it is an established fact in
human experience (or unnose we use the current
jargon and say “in social relations") that such
supplying and helping comes to mere bickering and
disagreement. Welch, Sr., will say,—beaming upon
the stricken company,—“Anne, you recall that red
headed hackman we had the argument with in
Milan?" And daughter will answer, “That wasn’t in
Milan, father it was in Verona. 1 remember, because
it was the day after you discovered that you had been
taken in by that Veronese art dealer, and you
were in the mood to argue with everyone it wasn’t
really Ihe hackman's fault." “Nonsense,” cries
Welch pore, “1 bought that chromo in Florence a
full month later, and it’s not just of you to say
that I was taken in I had my doubts about the
picture from the first." “You had doubts! Is that
why you talked about that ghastly daub as though
you had made the discovery of the century, and
would only have to take it to the Ixtuvre to trade,
all even, for the Mona Lisa?”
Thus will go on the “supplying of each other’s
omissions and the helping of each other’s recollec
tions." And the unhappy auditory will never learn
the one thing of interest that the discussion, or
wrangle, seemed Io promise. They will never know
what the red headed hackman said.
Dr. Johnson correctly said that l»eo friends enjoy
recalling things they have experienced
together. He said nothing whatever about the
friends of the two friends. Whittier thought a
few “dear and early friends” would enjoy his wintry
recollections, and would sit with him al the house
hold hearth
And stretch the hands of memory forth
To warm them at the wood-fire's hlaze.
Rut printed recalls are without fault no one needs
attend them unless he choose.
Rut travelers are really the least irksome nf
those who insist upon telling and telling and telling
again the incidents, factual or fabricated, of their
experience. The true masters in this type of social
torture are old college chums—persons who have
been at boarding school together in time past. Put
a pair of these lads in'o a company which knows
nothing of their early days, and watch the two
take over. They will remind each other of endless
things that never happened, and will dress up
a few actual occurrences in smothering swaths of
inartistic embroidery. Meanwhile people who may
have something to say must kit silent, pondering,
perhaps, the Johnsonian dictum: “The world has
few greatet pleasures than that which two friends
enjoy in tracing back, at some distant time, those
transactions and events which they have passed
together."
“Remember old Fuzzy, the math teacher?” 'TH
say 1 do what a guy! But Fuzzy didn't teach math
he was in economics.” "Oh, yeah, that’s right.—
economics and history." “No, he never taught his
tory." “Yes be did. too. I had one history course
under him,—Egyptian, 1 think it was, or maybe
modern England,—yes, I think it was modern Eng
land 1 recall something about King Arthur." “Well
anyway. Fuzzy was quite a character quite a char
acter Fuzzy was. I recall the day that Fats Brewer
gave him the nice cigar, and Fuzzy hadn’t taken six
puffs before the thing blew up in his face. 1’11 never
forget Fuzzy’s expression of utter bewilderment.
And you know, it was just that, just bewilderment,
just astonishment not a trace in it of indigna
tion or resentment.”
“You’re loco, bud. Old Fuzzy had the temper
of a wild cat meanest old bird on the campus.
Resides, that Fats Rrewer incident is twisted some
how. Old Fuzzy never smoked in his life. And I don't
believe Fats Brewer ever gave a cigar, or anything
else, to anyone at any time.—even a trick cigar.
Fats Brewer was the world's tightest citizen." “Weil,
anyhow, do you remember the time Fuzzy was sick?
Solemnity and gloom all over the place sawdust
on the pavement in front of Faculty House hourly
reports from the bedside. And, after we had spent
two days of bated breath with a tear in readiness,
it turned out that what ailed Old Fuzzy was
measles! Boy. what a joke that was!"
You all know by dire experience that this imag
inary chatter of old college chums is true to fact and
unexaggerated. And you know too what such chatter
can do to an otherwise pleased and pleasant com
pany. In ten minutes, every nonchum is ready to
curse Old Fuzzy and every measle on him.
All this is just hy way of saying that there ought
to be a “rider" on that sententious saying of John
son about the pleasure of recollected experience.
,-z
WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON More than
ever, "It’s a small world." The
biggest news story here in some
time—it held the front page for
days and led reporters to seek
comment from any respon
sible person that might talk
—originated some 5,000 miles
away, in Moscow. It was the up
heaval of the communist high
command.
At the same time, the events
that are most vitally affecting
the immediate future of the
American people whether they
are to have peace or war—are
unfolding some 6,500 miles in
the other direction, around For
mosa.
Word of the drastic change
over among Kremlin leaders
reached here early in the day.
Leaders still assert that they do
not know what it means, but that
same afternoon the House of
Representatives extended the
draft law for another four years,
with only four dissenting votes.
Congress has been told that
the United Nations Security
Council has fallen largely into
disuse insofar as enforcement is
concerned." The chief cause of
this, it is stated, is the “attitudes
and policies of the Soviet Un
ion."
LOUIS E. RUDEXZ
It may seem puzzling that the
American Reds
on the Formosa
United Nations,
ist China offi
cially rejects
the idea with
scorn. A mo
ment's reflec
tion on Stalin
ist tactics,
however, w ill
advise us that
this is precise
ly what could
have been ex
pected. It is a
repetition of the “softening up”
process which has so easily been
practiced by Moscow on gullible
American public opinion for the
past twenty years.
urge a decision
question in the
while Common-
This procedure is a simple
one. and that makes it all the
more startling that the United
States has proved susceptible to
it so many times.
Weight of Public Opinion
The first step is for the Com
munists and their friends in the
non-Soviet nations, and specifi-
cally in the United States, to
bring pressure on Washington
for action through the United
Nations. And so it is that on
January 27, the Daily Worker in
its leading editorial applauds the
stand of the New York Post and
Americans for Democratic Ac
tion in calling for a cease fire
"under the auspices of the
United Nations.” The'Stalinists
and their allies are whipped up
to deluge Congress and the
White House with demands to
“negotiate.”
Thus it is that this editorial,
which sets the pace for succeed
ing utterances by the Red daily
organ, concludes with this di
rective: "Speak out now ror an
end to this policy of interven
tion and war (which the Daily
World Events Shake Capitol
A study made for the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations
by a subcommittee on Enforce
ment Action under the United
Nations says “nations have
sought elsewhere for means to
bulwark their individual security
in common defense against ag
gression." This it is added, has
led to an enlargement of the role
of the UN General Assembly in
enforcement and to the multi
plication of regional defense or
ganizations.
The United Stales bas had a
leading part in both of these de
velopments.
Secretary of State Dulles has
said that one of the questions
that might be brought before the
upcoming conference to review
the UN Chapter is, whether the
General Assembly, where there
is no veto, should be given great
er responsibility for the main
tenance of international peace
and security.
The Senate subcommittee
study says “security is at the
heart of the conflict between
communist and free countries,”
and for this reason “it is in this
field that charter changes would
seem the least likely to be ac
cepted as long as the Organiza
tion contains both camps and the
unanimity of the permanent pow­
The Danger: Retreat From Asia
Worker claims Eisenhower may
embark upon). Wire and tele
phone your Senators, and the
White House to TALK with the
Chinese, to NEGOTIATE a
settlement of the present crisis."
While Washington is flooded
with such communications
which our Senators and Repre
sentatives will not recognize as
coming from the Communist
camp, since few of them follow
Communist documents pa
triotic Americans are counted
upon to do nothing at all. The
weight of what appears to be
“American public opinion" will
be thus favorable in Washing
ton's eyes to “negotiating" with
the Chinese Reds at any cost.
'Third War' Specter
The next step by the Soviet
fifth column is an inevitable
one. It is to represent the
American people as cringing
with fear before the possibility
of a “third world war." There
fore, the Daily Worker tells its
followers to spread this false
piece of gossip: “There is a fear
that if the President is authori
zed to carry out the Knowland
Radford-McCarthy program for
war now with China, it may lead
to a terrible conflagration, with
frightful consequences for the
world." The Red organ wants
to see a “growing clamor for
some alternative to this grizzly
prospect."
This is nothing other than the
raising up of ghosts to frighten
us, as though the American
people were mere children. The
Chinese Communists, w’ith their
clumsy economy, will not dare to
have a frontal war with the
United States, nor will the whole
Soviet world.
If the White House were to
stand firm, there would not he
war but peace a peace which
would be the beginning of grave
ers is required for the adoption
of amendments.”
At the same lime, the study
says, the United States must
make up its mind “whether any
changes in the charter in this
vital field are desirable from our
national point of view.” “Would
the United States be willing,
for example, to supply armed
forces fnr a United Nations en
forcement action of which we
didn’t approve?” the study asks.
“That,” it says, “could be a con
sequence of at least some of the
proposals for the elimination of
the veto. Furthermore, would
the United States be willing to
assign enforcement functions
beyond those of a voluntary na
ture to a General Assembly in
which it has only one out of 60
votes?”
The study is bound to have
considerable weight when Con
gress gets down to discussing pro
posed changes in the UN Char
ter. The study expresses concern
that the increases in regional de
fense organizations may lead to
“superpower blocs” outside the
UN system. It asks if these re
gional arrangements cannot be
tied in with the UN, and if such
a step is desirable.
It looks like decisions to
amend, or not to amend, the UN
Charter, will not come easy.
difficulties for Soviet control of
the subject peoples.
The Tip-Off
The only time that the Chinese
Communists, or any other Soviet
clique, would dare risk warfare
with the United States would be
when they are “tipped off” by
their agents in Washington that
we will deliberately lose any
such war.
That this occurred in Korea
is now beyond doubt. Anyone
who reads the sworn testimony
of our commanders in the Pacific
will recognize that the State De
partment lost that war, and
thereby changed the face of
Asia.
You may read excerpts of this
testimony in the February 11
issue of United States News and
World Report. It confirms the
fact that the United States is
being defeated by propaganda
from within and by official
policies which yield to that pro
paganda.
The Stalinist tactic of frighten
ing us to death, and then per
suading us to acquiesce in our
own defeats, is already register
ing gains around Formosa.
The eyes of all Asia are on us,
and all Asia sees that we are in
retreat. The effect on Japan, in
Korea, and throughout that con
tinent cannot be favorable to us.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Com
munists will press for other re
treats on our part, constantly
threatening us with war and
never intending to wage it.
Eventually they hope to "•force”
us to agree to the complete
betrayal of Formosa, in which
the United Nations might play
a part. To prevent such a ca
lamity, Americans have an obli
gation to speak out. insisting
that Washington (ake a strong
stand right now, and break off
relations with Soviet Russia.
Inquiry Corner
Eat her
Q. Is there, any official Church
teaching on the pains of Pur
gatory?
A. In 1520 the Church con
demned the teaching of Luther
that Purgatory was taken care of
by imperfect charity and con
sequent fear of a person about
to die. The Church further
teaches that punishment (tem
poral as opposed to eternal in
hell) is the lot of a person dying
with venial sins upon his soul
or unexpiated mortal sin (al
though forgiven). In 1351 Pope
Clement VI clearly taught that
there was pain from fire for a
time (“igne crucientur ad tern
pus”) in Purgatory. It is the
teaching of the Church that Pur
gatory ends when satisfaction
has been made by the individual
and that it ends entirely at the
end of the world, yielding to the
General Judgment. St. Paul re
fers to it when he states: “The
fire will assay the quality of
everyone's work if his work
abides which he has built there
on, he will receive reward if his
work burns he will lose his re
ward, but himself will be saved,
yet so as through fire." (I Corin
thians 3:13-15)
Q. Would it be right for citi
zens to take the law into their
own hands when public officials
are in league with criminals,
making it impossible to obtain
justice, as in the case mentioned
in a recent magazine?
A. Ordinarily not. It is never
permissible for a private person
to undertake the punishment of
another, especially in more seri
ous matters (e g. capital punish
ment). A group of private persons
seen at its worst in a mob) has
no more authority than one indi
vidual. When a group of private
citizens judge that it is impossi
ble to gain justice and the com
mon good of the people is suffer
ing they may establish some soi
of provisional government or au
thority in place of that which is
clearly and seriously unjust. Ap
peals to higher branches of gov
ernment, to public opinion
through the press, etc., should
be made before any form of gov
ernment or authority is displac
ed. Our Declaration of Indepen
dence indicates the principles for
we are “endowed by Creator
with certain unalienable Rights
That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive
of these ends, it is the Right of
the People to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new Govern
men
While it is possible for an in-
MONSIGNOR HIGGINS
A Challenge
Lincoln’s Birthday was the
36th anniversary of the Bishops’
Program of Social Reconstruction
—perhaps the most important
single docu
ment and the
most signifi
cant landmark
in the history
of the Catholic
social move
ment in the
United States.
The week im
mediately pre
ceding this an
niversary saw
the publication
of a scholarly
book by James W. Prolhro. This
book, better than almost any
other recent publication of its
kind, recreates the economic and
political atmosphere which pre
vailed in the LTnited States at
the time the Bishops’ Program
was issued and for a decade
thereafter. Dr. Prothro calls it
“The Dollar Decade”—also the
title he has chosen for his schol
arly analysis of the “business
ideas” of that ill-fated period of
false prosperity.
False Philosophy of the Twenties
The “business ideas” of the
'20s to the extent that they
are accurately summarized by Dr.
Prothro were completely at
odds with those of the Bishops’
Program. The dominant philoso
phy of that period was laissez
faire economic individualism
unrestrained in any way by gov
ernment or by the few strug
gling unions which had man
aged to come into existence
against tremendous odds. The
Bishops’ Program explicitly chal
lenged this false philosophy of
economic life.
Government was called upon
to enact specific laws designed
to alleviate, if not to eradicate,
the injustices spawned by the
philosophy of laissez faire. The
Bishops’ eleven proposals were
based on the opposite principle
—as expressed by Pope Leo XIII
three decades earlier that “if
any injury has been done to ei
ther the common good or the in
terests of individual groups,
which injury cannot in any oth
er way be repaired or prevented,
it is necessary for public authori
ty to intervene.”
This was the starting point of
the Bishops’ Program. The sec
ond principle and the one that
really* went to the heart of the
matter was this—again in the
words of l^eo Xlll that “it is
within the competence of the
rulers of the State that, if they
benefit other groups, they also
improve in particular the condi
tion of workers.”
Too Much, Too Little?
At least one reviewer has sug
gested that Dr. Prothro’s hook
seriously distorts the picture of
the 20s. It is said to attach too
pal py .....
1
dividual to resist an unjust ag
gressor, even to the taking of
his life (in self-defense) where
that is necessary, criminals have
a right to “due process of law”.
Action should be directed to a
reform in government. Any ac
tion “outside” the law could be
excused only in the most unusual
circumstances, only temporarily
and only as a last resort.
Q. Is there a Saint Robert?
A. There are a number of
saints of that name. Among the
most famous is St. Robert, Abbot
of the 11th century, who was the
founder of the Cistercian Order.
The Cistercians were a branch
of the Benedictines, and a later
reform of the Cistercians in the
monastery of La Trappe in
northern France has led to the
modern name of Trappist. St.
Robert Bellarmine was a bril
liant scholar and reformer of
the 17th century. He was creat
ed a Cardinal in 1598 and was
a great leader in the Catholic
Reformation. His feast day is
September 17th. He was canon
ized in 1930.
Q. What are some of the reg
ulations regarding the election
of a new pope?
A. By order of Pope Pius XI
the cardinals must meet in con
clave within fifteen to eighteen
days after the death of the Rom
an Pontiff. Pope Gregory in
troduced the law of conclave in
1274 whereby the cardinals con
duct the sessions in isolation and
secrecy, nothing of the sessions
being published until the new
pope has been chosen. It is sim
ilar to our "locked-up” jury. A
two-thirds majority is required
and the cardinal chosen (al.
though strictly speaking any
male Catholic could be chosen)
accept, and chooses the name by
which he will be known.
Q. Is there a St. Conrad?
A. St. Conrad, bishop of Con
stance in Switzerland, was noted
for his zeal and love of the peo
ple. He died in 176 A. D. and
was canonized in 1120 A. D. St.
Conrad of Piacenza in Italy was
a nobleman who was beggared by
a hunting accident and with his
wife left the world for contem
plation. His holiness brought
many to visit him so he left for
Sicily where he finished his life
in prayer and in care of the sick
in the hospital at Noto. He died
in 1351.
Send questions Io Father Ed
ward F. Healey, Inquiry Corner,
The Catholic Times, Box 636. Co
lumbus (16) Ohio.
much importance to ultra-reac
tionary statements made by cer
tain spokesmen for the business
community during that period.
These men, the reviewer says,
were the extremists of their day
they were the exception rather
than the rule.
Whether or not this is true,
the opposite criticism might be
leveled against another book,
“Economics and the Art of Con
troversy,” which was also pub
lished during the week immedi
ately preceding the recent anni
versary of the Bishops’ Program.
The author of this book, John K.
Galbraith of Harvard University,
is one of the nation’s leading
economists and, incidentally, one
of the best literary stylists in
the economics profession.
If anything, Dr. Galbraith at
taches too little importance to
the extremists of our own gener
ation. Take the case of The Free
man magazine as a timely exam
ple. Just a few days before the
anniversary of the Bishops’ Pro
gram, The Freeman announced
in a long editorial that the av
erage Republican and the aver
age Democrat you and I, in
other words have done more
to bring Communism (not Social
ism, but Communism) to the
United States than all the card
carrying members of the Com
munist Party put together. Com
munism. in The Freeman’s dic
ionary, is synonymous with gov
ernment controls presumably
any kind of government controls
and any degree of government
intervention in economic life,
however slight. According to this
definition, every one of the elev
en proposals in the Bishops’ Pro
gram is Communistic.
Catholic Social Ethics
In Dr. Galbraith’s opinion, this
sort of extremism is not to he
taken very seriously. The over
whelming majority of Americans,
according to Galbraith, are in fa
vor of collective bargaining,
price supports for farmers, and
whatever degree of government
action might be necessary to
forestall another depression.
This, surely, is a challenge to
the Catholic businessmen in the
United States, some of whom, in
a few cities, have already organ
ized their own associations. As
the number of these associations
increases, perhaps they will find
it possible to pyblish a periodi
cal of their own which will ef
fectively represent the Catholic
point of view in matters of social
ethics.
We badly need at least one in
the business field, if only to let
the rest of the world know that
extremist publications like Th«
Freeman which now have the
field pretty much to themselves
—are not speaking for the Cath
olic businessmen of this coun
try.