Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-16
Germany is Expected to Be Scene Of the
Greatest Contest,
FREE MAsONS COME IN FOR THEIR SHARE
Distinction Between NasOnI Of South and
Those of America,
LINE DRAWN BETWEEN RICH AND POOR
In Impending Contest, which May
Include All Europe, Socialists
Count on Drawing from
Poor Catholics.

ROME, Dec. 15-(special)-It begins to |
appear as though stormy times are await |
ing the Vatican. Theological eXperts-to |
coin expressive phrase-are saying that !
the whole organization and system of the |
Roman Catholic church are likely to be
subjected to a strain more severe than they |
have experienced since the great trials and |
tempests OF the reformation This, 1t
should be explained, Is not the fault Of the
church; 1t is not the fault of the adminls-
traton of affairs as now carried on. II It
must be charged up against anything 1t Is
to be charged up against the general feel
ing Of unrest which prevails in so many
OF the countries of the world, and for the
prevalence of this feeling of unrest, almost
world wide as It appears to be, It would be
manifestly unfair to hold the pope or his
cardinals responsible.
Some OF the theological experts profess to
find the greatest menace to the authority
OF the church in the growing tide of social
ism. Heretofore. no matter what the
periods OF storm and stress, even during
the darkest hours OF the reformation period,
the pope could always rely upon a large
percentage Of the workingmen, if the labor
ers Of that period may be 50 styled, for the
purpose Of making the parallel plain. The
Catholic church has always been strongest
among the poor-is strongest among the
| poor even to the present day. But the
| socialistic propaganda which has swept
| over so many of the European countries
| appears to take into It's ranks all Of the
! poor almost without exception. Indeed It
! Is the boast Of the international socialists
that the great middle class is rapidly being
wiped out OF existence and that soon there
will be only the very poor and the very
| rich. and 1t is argued that the socialists
will get 30 per cent OF the very poor and
| that they will outnumber the so-called ex-
plotting classes ten to one. These argu-
ments are used merely for the purpose of
making plain the situation as 1t appears
today from the point of view of many
persons who have given their entire lives
! to the study of topics akin TO these.
Socialists Are Blamed.
A great many loyal Catholics are dis
posed to charge the troubles through which
/ the church is passing in the republic of
France and in countries possessing a more
autocratiu form of government-Spain
Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria,
servia, and in fact, all Of the Balkan
states-up to the ancient and the old-time
enemy CT the Church OF Rome-the Free
Masons. And when the word Free Ma
sons Is used in this connection 1t should
tirely foreign to the meaning used by
lodges Of that order In England and
| America The rude organizations which
have for centuries existed In the south of
Europe have little in common with the
order, Of which the king OF England is
the head. But no matter whether some OF
these offshoots from Freemasonry are re-
sponsible for some OF the agitatiOns which
have been carried on against the priests
and the bishops or not, the fact remains
that the asttations do exist. And the
Vatican has at times been extremely
troubled Gt the way things have been
going in some OF the greater cities Of
France and the Latin union countries.
The situation has perhaps reached a
more critical stage in Germany than in
any other European country. for the reason
that the growth Of socialism has been
more pronounced there than elsewhere. To
those who remember the days Of the elder
bismarck 1t seems almost impossible that
even a friendly undertaking could exist
between the German emperor and the Vati-
can. only few years have elapsed since
the priests were being driven out of the
country with the authority Of a German
kaiser In far worse fashion than they are
being treated today in France. But those
who get a glimpse Of things behind the
scenes In the chancellories Of Europe do
not hesitate to say that there is work
ing agreement between the Vatican and
the kaiser for the suppression OF social
ism The kaiser is being forced to rely
more and more, year by year. upon the
clericals to secure the enormous approprla-
tions for his pet projects OF a large army
and navy-things which are being fought
! In all legitimate ways possible by the
v,orldngmen and the socialists OF his
realm Just what the effect win be upon
the minds of the wOrldngmezi Of continental
, Europe, II It should become apparent that
the pope is working with the crowned
heads Of Europe in this way, It Is dificult
: to say. for the reason that never before
/ has the church ranged itself squarely on
/ the side Of the rulers and against the
poorer classes. Indeed the Catholic church
/ has been bitterly accused OF caring insanely
for the poor by It's arch enemies
Contests May he hitter.
= In the event Of a square conflict between
the 1000 900 socialists of Germany and the
Vatican and the kaiser It IS dihicult to de-
2 termine lust what the final result might
be, even II there should be no resort 10
p arms. Certainly the situation could not fan
70 leave many sores-perhaps a condition
OF affairs akin TO that caused by the fact
" that Father McGynn adhered to the cause
OF Henry George and the single tax move
, ment in New York City in opposition 10
J churchly authority. II Was years and years
before the friction caused by this event
healed over even In Rome itself.
Next to France, where the contest be-
tween the local authorities and the church
authorities Is going on all the time the
storm center today would appear 70 be
spain. For while the groundwork has per
N,r -
: IN Germany later on, II Is in Spain where
! the latest troubles have broken out. The
liberal statesmen IN Spain are constantly
seeking 20 impress upon the mind Of IN,
: young king that there Is an alliance ther,
u between the church authorities and the
l. Carlists and the reactionaries Undoubt
= edly there Il a tendency 10 exaggerats
Z these things-not one-haf the reports re
8 ceived here in regard to the situation ir