COMMUNISM AND CHILDREN

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27563, 21 January 1955, Page 11

COMMUNISM AND CHILDREN

Clash With Churches In Germany

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, January 20. The Communist-controlled Free German Youth movement in the Russian Zone of Germany has announced preparations for a secular “initiation” of all children leaving primary schools this year, says the Bonn correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian.” The ceremonies will take place on April 1 under the direction of committees organised by the Free German Yputn and Socialist Unity Party. The Evangelical and Roman Catholic churches have announced that children taking part will not be confirmed. The Torrespondent says: “Spokesmen of evangelical churches say this is considered the first real trial of strength between the Communist regime and the churches since the middle of 1953, when the campaign against church youth groups was abandoned. “All Evangelical churches. in the Soviet Zone have been allowed to adopt their own policy towards the initiation programme. They have decided to oppose it with all the means in their power, and the Roman Catholic Church will do the same.” Comment by Bishop The Bishop of Berlin referred in a recent pastoral message to preparations for the initiation ceremony. He said they were a deliberate attempt to mobilise the youth of East Germany in opposition to the teachings of the Christian Churches. The initiation will begin on January 25 with special instruction for boys and girls aged 14. They will study natural history, civics, and political theory under selected teachers. The instructors will include engineers, doctors, factory activists, ‘‘heroes of labour,” and Free Gdrman Youth functionaries. The initiation ceremonies on April 1 will be held in town halls and public buildings ‘‘with warm sunshine streaming through the windows.” They will be opened with “bursts of festive music” and “the distribution of colourful bouquets,” carried on with “forthright speeches,” and concluded with ‘‘the stirring songs of our young pioneers.” The correspondent adds: ‘‘This trial of strength between the churches and the anti-Christian forces in the Russian Zone will be hard. Before 1949 East German youth has been systematically bullied into joining the Free German Youth movement or threatened with reprisals to their families and checks to their careers. The Free German Youth is now a very powerful organisation.”