MARIST BROTHERS AND THE WAR.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13939, 24 July 1917, Page 1

MARIST BROTHERS AND THE WAR.

W, JWSWUKTttrs ai'ATiiaiHix. '■'-■-» STRONG EXCEPTION BY CATHOLICS. WELLINGTON, July 20. Strong exception was taken at tho Catholic Federation Board meeting yesterday to the reported utterances ofMr Nosworthy in the House of I>wosentatives in reference to the conscription of Marist Brothers and the part the Catholics took in the war. The following motion was carried unanimously: "That this meeting of the Wellington Catholic Federation protests against the false and malicious statement made by Mr Nosworthy, M.P., from his place in, the House last evening—namely, that' the Catholic body was the only denomination not doing its duty in the war, and was shirking its duty—and further calls upon the momber either to withdraw his'unjust and cowardly aspersion on'the Catholic people of New Zealand or prove his words." Archbishop O'Shea said it was monstrous that a man should shelter behind his privilege as-a member of .Parliament and make such a charge against the Catholics of NewZealand, Prom every part of. the Dominion Catholic young men had gone and voluntarily fought for King and country. From Catholic societies, officials, and prominent members, men had gone in their hundreds, and from the casualty lists it could be seen how large a percentage of them had made the supreme sacrifice courageously and cheerfully. Many of these men had heec prominent church' workers, and would bo classed as clergy .by some of the other denominations. Two of the priests who had gone to minister to the spiritual needs of the Catholic soldiers had been struck down—one fatally and the other so. severely wounded that he might never again be fit for duty. Yet, because they would not tako away the priests from their spiritual mi.iistcratious to the bereaved ones at home and to the soldiers on the battlefield, where they wore of far grdatcr service to the King and country insignificant numbers would allow them to be as soldiers, and because they did not wish to deprive Catholic boys of their teachers, and thus inflict a positive injury on the coming generation, this man .had the effrontery to say that they were not doing their ; duty. Catholics were not going to allow such a false char [e —the outcome of an organised attempt to stir up sectarianism—to pass without the strongest protest. Other speakers expressed themselves very forcibly on the injustice inflicted on Catholics by Mr Nosworthy in tho statement reported to be made by him.