PRIEST’S ARREST

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 96, 18 January 1938, Page 9

PRIEST’S ARREST

Roman Catholic Anger At Fever-Heat CONCORDAT BREACH Nazi Decree To Abolish Religious Schools By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received January 17, 8.35 p.m.) London, January 17. According to the Munich correspondent of the “Telegraph” Roman Catholic anger at the rearrest of Father Mayr has reached fever-heat, as the arrest is accompanied by a new decree aiming at the total elimination of the Roman Catholic Church from education in Bavaria, which is a direct breach of the Vatican Concordat. The decree orders the standardisation of secondary schools, involving the abolition of convent schools an'd private colleges and the dismissal of priests and nuns, thus giving the Nazis complete control of education. It is estimated that more than 600 Catholic teachers will be workless. An earlier message stated that the Rev. Father Rupert Mayr, the Roman Catholic priest who was arrested in June on “technical charges” and whose sentence of six months’ imprisonment was suspended, had again been arrested. The Berlin correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” reported on June 14 that the arrest of Father Mayr had dismayed the army, as Father Mayr is regarded as one of Bavaria's national heroes. He lost both his legs in the war and was awarded the highest military honours for his services as a chaplain. Father Mayr answered the attack of the Minister of Propaganda. Dr. Joseph Goebbels, on the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Mundelein, by declaring: "It is better that a priest be shot down in Spain than see his faith dragged in the dirt in Germany.” The Archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Michel von Frulhaber, protested to the Government that the arrest of Father Mayr was a breach of the Concordat with the Vatican. Despite the restraint imposed on Catholics, the agitation for the priest’s release increased daily. Catholics feared that unless the authorities acted there might be an outbreak of violence. “UNHEARD-OF INSULT” German Protest Against Dr. Dodd’s Speech Washington, January 16. The German Ambassador, Dr. DieckhofC, protested to the Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, against the speech of Dr. W. E. Dodd, until recently Ambassador to Germany, at a dinner in his honour, as “an unheardof insult” to a friendly nation. Mr. Hull has replied that Dr. Dodd is. no longer in an official office, and that his utterances do not represent the views of the United States Government.

In a bitter attack on the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, Dr. Dodd said: “All the world knows how he denied religious, personal, and Press freedom, how universities and schools were put under party control, and how almost as many of his personal opponents were killed in five years as Charles If executed in 20 years in the seventeenth century.”- He alleged that Germany started the World War, and said that President Wilson, in August, 1915, foresaw the necessity for the entry of the United States to forestall European domination by the German military group. “Mankind is in grave danger, but democratic Governments do not seem to know what to do,” Dr. Dodd added. “The United States is as much to blame for the grave dangers at present as any other country.” YUGOSLAV PREMIER Demonstrative Welcome To Berlin Berlin, January 16. A demonstrative welcome, in which the Minister of Air, General Goering, the Foreign Minister, Count von Veurath. and the Minister of the Interior, Dr. Frick, participated, was given to the Yugoslav Prime Minister, Dr. Stoyadinovitch. £80,000,000 STATE LOAN OVERSUBSCRIBED (Received January 17. 10.10 p.m.) Berlin, January 17. The Reich State loan of £80.090,000 was over-subscribed.