COMMUNIST OVERTURES

Grey River Argus, 10 August 1937, Page 8

COMMUNIST OVERTURES

(To the Editor). Sir, —In Saturday’s edition of your paper, “Left Wing” makes an appeal to Catholic workers to join with Communists in a “light for economic, social and political progress.” He says: “And our object is not to destroy their religious beliefs.” Now liow can this be, when one of the Communist slogans is, “Religion is the opium of the people?” His article makes some passing references to the encyclical “Quadragesimo Anno,” and attributes it to Pope Pius IX. This encyclical was written, not by Pope Pius IX, but by Pius XI, the present Pope. This Pope has written an encyclical “Divini Redemptoris,” exposing Communism and its methods. Every Catholic worker should procure a copy of this encyclical and study it well. Communism, denies also the right of free will and private property. It thus allows man nothing to call his own—it makes him a slave in the social sense of the word. The Labour Party, with its policy of construction, rejects the Communists with their policy of destruction and . revolution. * Pope Pius XI says: “Even the sphere of economics needs some morality, some sense of moral responsibility, which finds no place in a system so thoroughly materialistic as Communism. Terrorism is the only substitute, and it is terrorism that reigns in Russia to-day, where former comrades in revolution are exterminating each- other.” Left Wing” should consider, for example, Bela Kun—even he was not safe! If you value your life, keep out of Russia, “Left Wing,” and don’t attempt to bring Russia to this fair land of ours' —I am, etc., “VERITAS" Greymouth, August 9/1937.