THE CONFLICT IN SPAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23045, 23 November 1936, Page 10

THE CONFLICT IN SPAIN

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—l challenge any reader to follow the " reasoning " of " Freedom *' in his letter on the Spanish question. One thing is apparent; he wants to say something nasty about the Catholic Church. No wonder he takes off his hat to "Another Catholic"; but has he not heard the old proverb: " It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest? " What is he trying to prove? This seems to be his thesis: " The prosperity of Protestant nations—those nations that accepted the light of the Reformation—proves that the Protestant religion is true." But he also tells us (hat Spain was one time the most prosperous country in the world, and that her religion was Roman Catholic. Ergo! But Spain became a third-rate Power; therefore her religion was false! It is equivalent to arguing: " Brown is a millionaire; his religion must be true. Brown has become n bankrupt; his religion must be false! " If Protestantism is justified by the present temporal prosperity of Protestant nations, it will be falsified by the future collapse of such nations. Is the present relative position of the nations of this world going to remain unchanged till the end of time? Should the British Empire crumble, then, according to " Freedom," the Protestant religion would no longer be true! He cannot have it both ways. What was the religion of " Mcrrie" England? To what does he attribute the present distress in Wales? The unprejudiced mind sees thai temporal progress is a fluctuating tiling, dependent on political, geographical, racial, economic, and personal factors, and that quite independently of religion.

But " Freedom" has left the besi, wine to the last. ") hope that people will not be blinded by the 'bluff' reports of the murdering of bishops, priests, nuns, etc., which is really Fascist propaganda." How consoling lo know that they did not die 'mid shouts of hate, poor victims of the Marxian hordes!—their deaths they much exaggerate, the tires, the bullets, and the swords. And why? For truthful " Freedom," though not there, has now dismissed the whole affau. Seized in their consecrated dress, the final pain they met and bore, but read that letter to the press, they are alive and well once more. He has explained, and now we know they are not dead; the eentle Red. he could not. would not. strike the blow. Tt was the Fascist. " Freedom " said: his propaganda, nothing more, just "bluff" as we have seen before. It is sad, indeed, to find men, with sponge in hand on bloodstained ways, who follow toning down the red, and, passing with

averted gaze, perceive no inconvenient dead. Yet, I agree with "Freedom," they are not dead; their spirit walks abroad.—l am, etc., Mergimur Nunquam. Dunedin, November 21. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Please allow me to reply to tha so-certain "Anti-Fascist" and Company regarding the democracy of tha present Spanish Government. If the New Zealand Government put in office by vote, joined with the Communists, who were voted out, and formed a United Front Government, this would be at once directly opposed to the voters, and would ba the end of democracy. The Catholic people do not love capitalism, much less armed capitalism (Fascistism), but how can the Catholic people fight anti-religious Communism without finding themselves in the camp of the Fascists? "Another Catholic" shows his Communistic moral code in expressing the belief that if the people turned against the Church the Church must be wrong. The doctrine of Communism is a belief in the infallibility of the masses. If all the Spanish people, through ignorance wished for something immoral, it is quite possible that they would — they would have to, in fact—turn against the Church. When Father Darriien went to look after the lepers, so united was the ill-will of the lepers against him that he was in danger from the very people whom he had given his life to help. It was not until he was weakened himself with the disease that the people relented and admitted that he had brought in great reforms. The lepers wanted their drink and their drugs, and wanted to live unmarried like animals. By the way, does not "Anti-Fascist" know that Spain has been ruled by the big landlord? Where he rules, the Church is always poor, and where there is much poverty the Church is struggling and helpless. I suppose " Anti-Fascist" would deny that Communism is a religion, and that Communism would persecute the Catholic Church of Spain as it did all religion in Russia. Anyone who values his religion cannot change to a belief in the all-sufficiency of Communism. There is a great deal of mock democracy in the world. In Russia. Germany, and Italy the people can vote only for the choice of a picked party. A Communist cannot stand in Germany, nor can there be any form of Government but a Communist Government in Russia. " Wait and See " writes with the bitterness of the history-blind bigot. The people of to-day. with their poison bombing of the innocent civilian during £iodern wars, cannot point the finger at Spain, where an inquisition, which is an inquiry or trial, was held, Would you have had Spain resort to lynching criminals, as is done by our friendly Americans?—l am, etc., Religion. Other Letters to the Editor appear on page 7.