A GERMAN INFORMATION BUREAU

New Zealand Tablet, 27 April 1911, Page 763

A GERMAN INFORMATION BUREAU

AN AID TO THE CATHOLIC PRESS The flood of slanderous charges against the Church which issues from Socialistic, Masonic, and Atheistic press bureaus is rather increasing than abating (says Rev. F. s Bptten, S.J., in America). The Central- Auskunftsstelle at Cologne, Germany, makes it its object to assist the press in refuting the accusations based on fictitious convent and priest scandals, Jesuit fables, historical lies and Los-von-liom inventions. Though their number in the German speaking countries has been steadily growing, it is attributed to the activity of this bureau that, on the whole, they are less bitter than they were before its foundation. During the year 1910 the bureau bandied in all 1328 cases. Of these, 1087 cases had been reported by newspaper editors, priests, and others ; 236 cases were investigated by the bureau without such an appeal; Satisfactory information could not be obtained in 215 cases; in 400 cases the charges Proved to be lies pure and simple; in about 360 the principal facts had been distorted, while in 350 cases the reports of the anti-Catholic press were found to be, at least, essentially correct. Of the cases thus handled, 147 referred to secular priests; to religious, 72; to Catholic laymen, 32; to Catholic societies, 48; to proselytism, 38; to the Vatican and the papacy, 115; to statistics, 13; to historical falsehoods, 45; to ecclesiastical conditions, 53; to missions, 9; to Lourdes, 12; to Catholic teaching and practice concerning matrimony, 15; to sacerdotal celibacy, 22; to Jesuits, 12; to superstition, 18; to Los-mn-Ruin stories, 46; to conversions, 8; to Freemasons, 21; to the Centre party and elections, 31; to relics, 75; to convent stories, 93; to schools, 26; to other subjects, about 100. These figures, while illustrative of the great variety of shapes assumed by untruth in the service of antiCatholicity, at the same time prove the great importance of this Catholic Information Bureau. If it did not exist, we should have to create it at once, is the general feeling. It is -consulted by authors preparing learned or popular books, by members of the legislatures, by directors of political and social societies; above all, by newspaper editors. The information it gives is not only sent to the questioner, but published in a kind of periodical, the C. .1, Mitteilungen, which goes to the editorial rooms of all the greater Catholic newspapers and, be it said to their honor, to a number of non-Catholic organs as well. It is printed on one side only, so as to allow a free use of the editorial scissors. Thus is insured a prompt and general denial of calumnies or rectification of misstatements. A peculiar feature of the Cologne institution is the Bureau for Legal Protection which. is attached to it. This department gives advice and assistance for the prosecution of slanderers, if this is deemed advisable,' and takes care that those papers which printed the defamation give due publicity to the rectification. The proper task of the Central -Auskunftsstelle is the investigation of facts, pretended and real, and the foregoing remarks show what a beehive of activity there must be in its offices. Its threads are spun over .the whole globe. No matter in what country the scene of some scandal is placed ltaly, Spain, South America, or China—every means will be tried to procure reliable informaiton. The ' chanceries of the Bishops most willingly furnish the desired items, and the bureau keeps in close touch with the Vatican.

' Doctrinal questions are not treated in the ordinary run of business, but form a kind of side line. A regular periodical is published, the Apologetische Rundschau, .„ which purposes to foster a deeper knowledge of the truths of religion among the educated classes and to defend the Faith against so-called scientific attacks. The subscription price is less than a dollar a year, surprisingly low, if one remembers that this monthly was started with a view to assist in securing a steady revenue for the whole enter-* prise. The bureau does an immense amount of good, but its present organisation is only considered a phase for future development. The Central-Auskunftsstelle , writes Germania, ‘ is a news bureau, so far the first and only Catholic one. Should it not be possible to expand it into a concern like the Reuter, the Wolff, or the Havas agency?’ This is, indeed, the goal which Rev. Carl Kaufmann, the director of the bureau, lias had in view for years. To work up to this, ho added to the various rectifications of errors and slanders other authoritative information about events of a religious nature or other happenings that might prove of interest for Catholic readers. Mr. Funder, editor-in-chief of the Vienna Reichspost, said in the Catholic Congress at Innsbruck: We need reliable reports of every nature. Like a gigantic kaleidoscope, a newspaper reflects the entire world, and, like a mirror, it is liable to distort the shape or events. It is the current news that every one looks for in his paper. The news is the soul of a newspaper, and reliable news on Catholic matters is the soul of the Catholic paper. Unfortunately, most of the news in our papers is furnished by firms that are in the hands of enemies of the Church. What we need is an independent Catholic news agency.’ • ‘Yes,’ answered a Jewish paper, ‘that is all well and good ; but the Catholics lack two things which are indis- , pensably necessary for such an undertaking namely, ■ intellect and money.’ As to the first requisite, we trust we are as well supplied as any other class of mortals. In any case, we have one great advantage over them in religions matters ; an infallible authority keeps us from wasting time and trouble on useless cavilling. And as for money, it is true that our millionaires are not very conspicuous.; but the modest contributions of the less favored which keep a Volksverein and a strong Catholic press afloat are capable of greater achievements. This idea, thus forcibly expressed by our German brethren, is- indeed not exclusively German. The need is felt everywhere, and is felt the more keenly the greater the efforts made to develop an influential Catholic press. It is an international need, and should be met by international co-operation. How much could be effected by a combination of the Catholic Truth Societies and similar organisations, it is hard to tell. But would not the Catholic papers of ail countries and languages gladly lend, not only their moral aid, but also their financial support.