Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, 24 January 1918, Page 14

Current Topics

g-sxf/i-:-]■;.' ;■. ■■ ■-•??'*■- ">>■■• ••■ •■•-•^.'■.■ < >:»;r;<r' ;r;>ri.?£:vy>-?--. : '-. ■""":- ' ''' » v ~- '' " y . Peace /- -' 4 <_ -, • t , -—,_:..•- -; , 1 ;Those who; desire a speedy termination of the war . were rather anxious when the recent trend of events in Italy demonstrated how false were* the newspaper lies that| the i Germans were exhausted n and almost beaten. ~5,s Many ; said to themselves ,;• that Vj under the .present ■' circumstances it was .conceivable that the Central Powers -would not be: contented to accept terms which they were certainly willing to accept three months ago. 4 Montenegro, . Rumania, and { Russia were practically beaten to ? a standstill. A * short . campaign undid all the Italians had accomplished in < years. The Americans had declared that it was hopeless to expect substantial help in man-power from them before the summer of- 1919. The statesmen [c on our ; side who deplored - the seriousness jof the .situation did not exaggerate the case?,-": In December last the Germans ended the autumn campaign-. stronger 5 than ever, .while the Allies, owing perhaps to what Lloyd George described as a series ; of -blunders (for which he always forgets to shoulder his I own-, share [of the blame), were in a condition desperate enough to warrant the gloomy expressions of our statesmen. We had been talking "big" about the terms we were to impose,on Germany: it were/small matter for wonder-if Germany had indulged in -.a; similar luxury-.; *- : -Howeverand it is a thing to be .thankful' forthe moderates in Germany now control affairs, and . they have; announced their desire to end the war on the Russian lines of "no annexations, no indemnities." M. Branting, the leader of the Social Democrats in Sweden,; and Minister of Finance in the National Government,- says—and his words are worth noting—"lf the Allies coldly reject this offer the people of the world will regard it as a criminal and foolish act." In Italian papers just come to hand we remark that the uncompromising anti-clerical, Guglielmo Ferri, almost re-echoes the-words of the Swedish Minister, and acutely criticises the stupid comments of the Allies on the Pope's Peace Note. The Givilta Gattolica refers to the London -Tablet's unrational criticism of its remarks about Lloyd George's "rhetoric," and bears out what we already hinted about the advisability of mixing much salt with the mental pabulum offered to English -readers by the Rome correspondent of that periodical. . Germany and Russia According to Stead's Review the hitch in the nego-

tiations between Germany and Russia was due to disagreement about Poland,' and Lithuania. It would seem that Poland had already declared for a separate government under the protection of the Austro-Ger-mans. The Russians, however,' contended that the decision was not. representative of the people, because most of the inhabitants were driven from the-country either' by the Russian armies or by the invading Germans, leaving only Teutonic sympathisers behind, who would, as a matter of course, vote for protection from the Austro-Germans. -With a spirit which is a -lie to the reports we have" been reading about the absence of all reason or saneness in Russia, the Russians insist that only after the exiled people have returned to their homes and the German troops are withdrawn can a correct idea of the real desires of the people be obtained. As an agreement was not arrived at on this the Russians withdrew from the conference and t declared their intention of continuing to; fight for an object which does them credit. -'They made their proposals. The Germans refused to agree to them. The Russians said : "You do not in reality subscribe to our > terms of agreement on the basis of no annexations ; ; and r no ; indemnities ; you- actually propose to n incorporate Poland . and Lithuania into the Central Empires; we can not agree to - this *."- 1 ] From : i this ihitchx?in the negotiations ; two facts emerge, as r Mr. Stead points out, (1) the Bolsheviki are not German; agents, but .patriotic < men ; eager to end. the" war by , honorable and lasting peace (2).•• the German 1 democracy is a power to be reckoned.; with,

-"" for the cables ".tell? us that ; Von Kuehlmann *: returned' to Berlin ,to-discuss I the whole- matter; ?riot with the h autocracy, but with men elected by the people, not ! nominated by t the Kaiser. The latter fact is important .as evidence ithat :i the democratising,of; Germany, which President Wilson says must take place before peace ; can be made, is not so far, away now. How will it be . if the Germans "; insist; that certain other \ countries: be also democratised? ■< At , any rate we are warranted in believing that at no distant; date not only the ; Germans, but -,. a150 the Russians and \ the ■'. Americans will want to know why , Prussianism should have a ' special stronghold in England. , . - : - Italy's Price sV. ' : ; .;,;.. $ Faithful to their-principles that there should be no more secret treaties and no more underhand scheming the Russians have been publishing to the world some documents that are very embarrassing to certain people at present. Not the least interesting of these revelations was made r to the Daily Mail lately. Great Britain, France, and Russia, according to the published text, agreed to allow Italy to annex the Trentino, the Southern Tyrol, Istria, Dalmatia, certain islands in the Grecian Archipelago f- and' territory in Asia Minor and Africa as the price of her withdrawal from the triple alliance. But very significant for Catholics is article XV. of the agreement, dealing with what .may truly be called the unholy alliance : ■.- " "France, Great Britain, and Russia take upon themselves to support Italy . in her disallowing representatives of the Holy See to take any diplomatic steps for the conclusion of peace or regarding matters pertaining to the present war." * , This precious document, which was signed in London, April 26, 1915, by Sir Edward Grey, M. Paul Cambon, French Ambassador to Great Britain, and Count Beckendorff, the Russian Ambassador to Great Britain, throws a new light—for those who ever had any illusions on the matter— on the nature of Italian patriotism. It also explains the bigoted reception of the Pope's Notes by the Allies—even if it does not explain the lack of humor which enabled them to hail with welcome the Notes from America which were sub-

stantially the same. France,. England, and the Russia that was, combined to boycott the Pope. There is nothing new in this. But it is well to keep the fact before our minds when we are inclined to wonder at the idiotic comments made on the Pope's overtures for peace. And 1 we are quite sure that thousands of Jingoes are absolutely incapable of seeing anything at all disgraceful in such an agreement. The simplest working principle in the world is theirs: All that we do is right; all that our enemies do is wrong. According to the Washington correspondent of the New York American the revelation of the secret treaty produced much disgust in America. It clearly indicated that Italy went into the war as a result of bribery on the part of the Allies. A Word to the Laborers If a rumor be true that it is already in contemplation to cut up and disintegrate a certain constituency, ; with the object of dividing the Labor vote it behoves the Labor Party to be on their guard. If it be true also that a move is being made by a powerful society, , famed for its nromotion of the interests of its members, with or without regard for justice according to circumstances, it is. well that the Labor Party should look I well before them and examine.if the move is not made altogether; in the interests of a certain very weightv %. political : . figurehead. Rumors r are only rumors of course; but. sometimes they are not r false. 'We give i '■ these for what they are worth. There have been also ; rumors of , a revolution in England owing ,to the not | altogether ridiculous idea that the \ Government there is [;- the - bulwark, of., the rich ; and the tvrant of the ; poor—--1 an idea that had striking;, confirmation .recently in "the : frank speeches made ;ih. the Houseof Lords, by. some of : I I ■ frank speeches made in the ,' when of Lords by some of the Peers. It began when the Marquis of

Salisbury called - attention to ; the general - unrest. In . the course 1 of his speech * he admitted that the ruling - classes had hitherto regarded the workers as a sort of dangerous animal which s it was necessary to treat civilly but never ; to trust. He said this must end: the workers must be given justice and treated humanely. The Archbishop of "Canterbury, who followed, drew a; contrast between the 1 wealthy minority with their accumulating riches*' and the* vast majority of intelligent laborers who had been made to feel that they had no place for their free personalities in the existing system. He wished for a new system under which the main motive of industry would not be to make profits, but to contribute to the: service of humanity. . Lord;St. Davids declared that it was his conviction that the real cause of the unrest was the suspicion that excess war-profits were being made by the few who used the workers .as . mere tools. Lore! Beresford also asserted that profiteering was the root of the trouble, and he warned the Government that there were rocks ahead of them if the hungry workers came home and found that no food was to bo had. •. Wo are, of opinion that the substance of what was said in the House of Lords deserves the earnest consideration of, our own politicians too. There may ,bo rocks aheau of them also. : .

Made in Ulster In a recent speech in the House of Lords the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland stated that he had a short time ago received information'from sources that "could not be ignored" to the effect that another rising was preparing in Ireland. He refused to take the strong anticipatory action to which he was urged, and the result quite justified his judgment. ' The Freeman's Journal decides that the only people who could possibly want a rising in the country just now are the irreconcilable Tories. Truth arrives at a similar conclusion, putting the cap on the Orange faction: "Lord Wimborne's speech," it says, "caused much disappointment and anger among the Die-Hards and the party of the Unseen Hand in Ireland." These words of Truth are 1 plain talk indeed: "much disappointment and anger" because the Lord Lieutenant declared that he refused to be trapped into causing bloodshed in Ireland! Is not this a sorry commentary on the purity of the motives of Milner, Carson, and their confreres who are fighting for the rights of small nations and the abolition of Prussianism ? Ananias did hot die childless. Has anythingeven amongst all the lies told about them—been alleged against the Germans half as bad as this persistence of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland to promote civil war at a time when the Empire they pretend to love is in imminent danger ? And surely the grimmest joke in all history is to see Edward Carson, the purveyor of" German guns and German drill-instructors, the man who three years ago threatened to wreck the British Government, and who actually did destroy the loyalty of the British Army, now ruling the Empire. No man with a sense of humor wonders that we are not crushing Germany.

The Empty Cradle ; i Thanks to the efforts of Sir Robert Stout and his colleagues to destroy religion among the people of New Zealand- we have at present a shameful record among the nations of the earth in the matter of race-suicide. While-" blatant politicians and ; unprincipled and cowardly Ministers of the Crown are maintaining the damnable secular system which is as antiquated as a high : bicycle, the Catholic Church ."is* making a " firm stand against the ruin and corruption of the country. Practically alone we are struggling for. the purity of home life, for the dignity of marriage, and for the welfare of the children' who are the heirs of the future. The Catholic Church, which is the object of continual attacks from people like -Howard : Elliott J and the blackguardly # writer of f the "Passing Notes" in the Ota-go Daily!Times; realises that religious restraint arid nothing else i? an - save the people; and there j is no better

testimony to£the CJEurch-: than that it | should be the common object r of the hate, of such people. "What difficulties have to be overcome by ministers of other religions if they attempt to withstand the tide of rottenness one may realise from* the following letter which an American minister of :* th£ Anglican* Church? addressed to Father Bernard Vaughan: ~ -?b r "Oh! -Vthat v We-Anglican clergy could do ■£ as •„you, have done! * But,* alas, if* we did, at any rate in the United- States, we should- be 'starved out.' " -, •;:< ;.:>-; | I have " been 1 through 4the process (starving, out) ; ;V?.' :" c . manyf times - r in r my ministerial;* career! »i But somehow or other we have survived. _, God has come-to our aid just as r the hours seemed h darkest. *-. In my-case the 'starving out'^always! came- about i (and doubtless \ the same thing will happen here) for & talking ito my congregation occasionally i about their own sins instead of the sins of the people in. the Bible. " It was the same : 'lack of tact' (truly > Satan's device; for clergy who want to be well spoken 1 of) in the case of- St. John Baptist, you will remember. ■-• But the '■'■ chief cause always in my case has-been that I am -the father foi *-; ..-.>:. children,: and have plainly said in my pulpit that to : be married and ; to be childless' (unless Himself denies the gift of children)' is to be living tin v the very worst kind of sin. •. '• '■■:;- . if*j& .... . " I.:■'■.; ;>> iabhi "Ministers' wives-are like all the rest, and avoid maternity. . I have spoken' to many, -'« to hundreds in fact, of our younger clergy,-' hoping to influence; them, and they all acknowledge that -they?use artificial means in order to 'keep down the size of their families!' . - And they do not seem to have any sense of sin about it at all. Truly, as Mr. 'Gladstone-once said of our:American Protestant theological writers, "They do not seem to have any sense of sin.' • Truly we are growing rotten. What would De Tocqueville ' say now? A clergyman, known to me, has been actually refused "admittance to the rectory on arrival in his parish when the good people discovered that he ■ had 'such a -disgracefully large family.' ' (Their ipsiss, verb.) - ?■■'- 'Why.' they said, 'it's a beautiful new rectory, and those children will scratch

it all over.’ Parishes are pretty .-wise,- and when they can find out about the '‘new minister’ before he is accepted, the man with a family ‘disgracefully large’ will never be hired to preach the Gospel to them. Fancy Christian people talking '-‘about ‘disgracefully / large families’! The really great sin to-day among married people is that the families are ‘disgracefully small.’ “Oh! that we could handle these poor, sin-ridden people as you Romans do.. But we can’t, that’s all there is about it. , We have, no authority, no confessional, or at best only here or there penance can be done in some Ritualistic church— , majority, of our clergy would not know how to hear a confession. , And then, too, our clergy thinking in dogma and morals so widely apart as they do, what can be done ? * - The only Church in America than ; can really do anything in the way. of controlling and shaping the morals and the . thought of its. people is your own, as ; the Church Times (Anglican) said some time ago- about you ; “The Roman Catholic Church and her clergy (to their . everlasting ... credit) have always ‘‘set. their faces like a flint” against the small-family heresy.” - ; , / .

Francis •. Ledwige aqoqtj-' In an interesting paper in . the -. Catholic World Katharine Tynan tells l -us .of ; her acquaintance with Francis Ledwidge and :of > the beautiful letters - she received from the young Irish poet whom the war recently took - from us. In his;.lettersl from . the scenes of carnage he was still the ; clear-eyed Irish boy who “had sat by the roadside in Meath / in love with the - green 5 fields and the - hawthorn 'hedges and the J long roads fringed with cow-parsley, and the blackbird’s,note, and the color- of blue with which all his poems - are .colored,; and- his 1 mother, and all simple and quiet loves.” And on all- the war-fronts where he fought I the , green fields were still before him; -‘l am always homesick, ’-’he wrote, “I hear the roads-calling and the hills, and the rivers wondering where I , am. • ■ Vi*. -h; ' . --.1f.; Igo . home - again I should certainly like to see you- I know Clareinorris

and Ballinrobe and all the ; ,little towns „in Galway.” And in another . letter: “I 1 wish * you would come to Louth.. ; There are charming places about Dundalk and Drogheda, and the people, are beautiful. ‘ -When I am in Louth I always imagine I hear voices calling me from one distance to another, and at every turn I half expect to see ' Cuchullin stride " over the hills to meet some new champion of Maeve. . . . I may be in Ireland for May Day yet.” To Katharine Tyrian he wrote apropos of her last : volume of poems: a^. r “I am indeed -glad to think you are preparing another new book of verse. Will you really allow me to review it I don’t want money for doing it. The honor would be more worth than the money. I reviewed Seumas O’Sullivan’s poems a few years ago, and hope I helped him to a wider public, though he has not yet the fame he deserves. His very name is a picture to me of lakes and green places, rivers, and willows and wild wings. You give me a picture of a long lane, with many surprises of flowers, a house hidden in trees where there is rest, and beyond that, mountains where the days are purple, and then the sea. " ‘A.E.’ sets me thinking of things long forgotten, and Lord Dunsany of gorgeous Eastern tapestry carpets. Do you get such impressions from the books you love , ' * 7 ■ From time to time he encloses in his letter a little poem which he has scribbled in pencil— one of hundreds such which are blown on all winds of the world and not to be recovered now. Here are two of them :

In France. The silence of the maternal hills - Is round me in my evening dreams, And round me music-making bells And mingling waves of pastoral streams. -- Whatever way I turn I find The paths are old unto me still. The hills of home are in my mind, iir : J ., And there I wander as I will, | Ascension Thursday, 1917. Lord, Thou hast left Thy footprints in the rocks That we may know the way to follow Thee ; But there are wide lands opened out between Thy Olivet and my Gethsamaue. And oftentimes I make the night afraid, Crying for lost hands when the dark is deep, And strive to reach the sheltering of Thy love, Where Thou art heard among Thy folded sheep. Thou wilt not ever thus, O Lord, allow My feet to wander when the sun is set. But through the darkness, let me still behold The stony by-ways up. to Olivet.