Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 6 May 1915, Page 34

Notes

Catholics and the Belgians : A Reply We have referred elsewhere to the unworthy and uncalled for remarks of the Presbyterian minister at Otautau, in regard to Catholics and the Belgian relief movement. The Very Rev. Father Murphy, of Riverton, lost no time in correcting the misstatements, and the Western Star of Friday contains the following vigorous and dignified, reply to Mr. Macdonald’s aspersions:—‘Sir,—The Rev. A. Macdonald, of Otautau, has deemed it his duty to rebuke the Catholics of the universe for their neglect in y not aiding the Belgian nation in her dire distress. To this statement, I give an unqualified denial. Had' Mr. Macdonald only read our Catholic papers, he certainly should not have treated his good people of Otautau to such a tirade against Roman Catholicism, as he has been reported in a local paper to have don© in his church at Otautau, on April 18. Had he even read the daily papers, he certainly would have seen that our Holy Father, Benedict XV., has by his generous donation towards the Belgian relief fund given us all an example in this matter. Yes, and in these same daily papers also, he might have noticed that the venerable Bishop of this diocese, the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon, whilst presiding at a Synod of his clergy last January, ordered his priests to have a special collection made in every church in his diocese, for the poor suffering Belgians, although his Lordship was cognisant of the fact that the Catholics of the diocese of Dunedin had already given, and generously, towards the same object. And what Dr. Verdon has done, has been done by every Catholic Bishop in the Empire. I hope these few facts will set the rev. gentleman’s tender conscience at rest. — I am, etc., P. Murphy, St. Coluraba’s, Riverton, 30th April, 1915.’ Germany’s Vulnerable Points So long ago as February, Mr. Hilaire Belloc expressed the opinion that it was unlikely that any new phase of the war would begin to appear until June or July. ' Present appearances would seem to confirm this view. In the same address Mr. Belfoc pointed out Germany’s four vulnerable points. . ‘ Germany is vulnerable at the four external corners of her empire. She must hold on to, Belgium, to East Prussia, to Alsace-

Lorraine, and' to Silesia. The giving up of any on© of these four strategical positions will be fatal to her, the embarrassment of holding the four is likely to prove her undoing. Should the Allies continue to pin the enemy and compel him to shorten his line, then that is the beginning of the end.’