ALL COMBINE IN THE GOOD CAUSE

New Zealand Tablet, 22 February 1917, Page 51

ALL COMBINE IN THE GOOD CAUSE

In every work organised" for/the.national defence, the bishops and the clergy of France have collaborated, and this collaboration, in many/' instances, has proved to be of capital importance. When it was decided to increase the gold reserve of the Bank of France, the Government called upon the bishops. v And - bishops, priests, and people. answered-generously'-to > the appeal. ;W, The wounded seem in a ; special manner to belong to the clergy and the Sisters.// In Paris alone, its suburbs, 955 beds have been placed at the disposal of the wounded in/1 Catholic';hospitals 437 , beds 'in 8 sanatoria; 2189 beds in ; educational establishments; 954 beds in 18 settlements 2058.,beds in 21 religious communities. /In all 5633 beds set' aside for the wounded soldiers by Catholic institutions in the diocese'of Paris, and out of 12,700 beds which the three societies of the Red Cross have in Paris and the suburbs, 6200 are cared for by religious. All through France the role of the bishops, priests, religious, and devoted Catholic laymen is of the same importance in the service of the wounded, the sick, and in the maintenance of every work of charity. On the Committee of the Secours National we find the name of Cardinal Amette side by side with that of Chief Rabbi Levy and of the Socialist* Dubreuilh. The war orphans and widows have hot been forgotten. To help the former the ' Family Adoption| has been established in the offices of La Croix on the initiative of 'Noel,' and the ' Association of War Widows and Orphans' has been founded "under the auspices of Cardinal Amette, Archbishop of Paris. In the field, in the ambulances, in the hospitals, in the Red Cross and relief work, bishops, clergy, and religious are everywhere doing their share. But they are especially solicitous for the spiritual welfare of their people. In the great majority of cases these have responded to their appeal. "'■'' ';'"'" ""*■■•"' f* ---•■ w /f^*?|

Mr. Hilaire Belloc, in the last issue of Land and Water to hand, takes a rationally optimistic view of the military position of the Allies. He says the British blockade of enemy. countries is as severe as it can be made. The enemy is insufficiently fedeven as to portions of his armies. The Allies have elaborated a new tactical method which will win the war' the infliction by a local offensive of greater losses upon the defensive by far than the offensive suffers.' Exhaustion of enemy effectives is the most important point of all. Germany's shortage of men is the whole cause of the enemy's present anxiety for peace.' The Allies in every country have indefinitely larger reserves of human material. ; ; " " F