The Washington herald., 1909-06-13
INSULT TO SAILORS
How Our Blue Jackets Upheld American Liberty
of Conscience at MarseiIles.

has the compulsory attendance at divine
service on Sunday been abandoned, but
every conceivable obstacle IS placed in
the way Of the soldiers desirous Of going
TO church. As the whole male population
Of Italy has 70 pass through the army,
the effect Is disastrous; and young peas
ants who arrive In barracks full of the
ancient and simple faith OF their parents,
return TO their homes either Indifferent
10 religion. or avowedly free thinking.
AS an illustration Of the attitude Of the
authorities. il may be mentioned that al
though detachment Of 800 soldiers are
stationed in the ex-convent Of st. GiOrgio
Maggiore at Venice. and although the
church attached 70 that once glorious
monastery is always open for public wor-
ship. not a single soldier had attended
mass there in the last twenty-five years.
nor is any soldier allowed 10 speak to the
half dozen Benedictine monks who con-
stitute the stan OF the church.
The antagonism Of the government ex-
tends also 10 the schools. with the result
that according TO Luigi Villari. In his in
teresting Italy or To-day" and in
numerous other equally authoritative
works recently published, You will find
among the middle class men OF modern
Italy, thousands who can tell you all
about Hercules or MahOmet. but who
know absolutely nothing about Jesus
Christ
Il must not for one moment be i'm
agined that King Victor Emmanuel ap-
proves Of this attitude OF his government
toward religion. But he Is powerless 10
mend matters, and the self-same publica-
tons, such as the Infamous "Asino," and
the equally scurrilous "Avanti." are quite
as free In their attacks upon the reign
ing house. as in their shocking indecencies
concerning the church. and especially
the Creator. the Founder Of Christianity,
and the most notable figures OF the Bible.
II is not my purpose 10 discuss in this
letter the complicated question Of the
war Ia progress between church and state
in France and IN Italy. What 7 merely
wish to point out is the intolerance 10
which the people Of these two countries
are subjected by their respective govern
ments In religious matters, and the evils
resulting therefrom.
Whether the state has a right TO con-
hscate the property Of the church, Of the
religious orders. and OF the philanthrIpic
institutions endowed by one or the OLheT,
70 enter here. The government claims
that the revenues of the ecclesiastical
property concerned have been used for
the purpose Of attacking IL. and that Il
is therefore justified in seiziDg them
On the other hand, il Is certain that the
original owners OF the estates in question
donated and bequeathed them 10 the
church for specified purposes. and not for
the furtherance Of the objects % which
this wealth is now being put by the state.
But what no government has a righS 10
do in this twentieth century OF Western
civilization. enlightenment, and progress.
is 10 prevent a man from exercising his
religious duties as he sees them, 20 penal
ize him for the attendance at divine Wor-
ship on Sundays. 10 deprive him by force
of the ministrations Of his faith, and TO
compel him to submit his children 70
teachings calculated In his eyes 20 injuri-
ously AFFECT their morals, and their entire
future in this world and IN the next.
There are sone countries where certain
forms Of religion are Disseminated
against for the benefit Of others. Thus.
in Spain. Protestants are still prevented
from maintaining any public place Of
worship; while in Russia. on the other
hand. Roman Catholics are deprived OF
many OF the advantages enjoyed by the
members OF the Orthodox church In
England, until a hundred years ago, Cath
olics suffered many disabilities, and the
celebration Of mass was frowned upon
by the authorities. But IN no country has
any such attempt been made by the state
to completely de-Christianize the people,
and 10 rob them Of every vestige Of re-
giOus belief as in France and IN Italy.
Looking at the matter from a purely
political point Of view, II IS a great mis-
take. As 1 have pointed out above, re-
ligion Is the basis OF law. order. and
civilization. The japanese government
has realized this. and makes no secret
Of its great concern at the condition OF
affairs arising from the abandonment by
its people OF the faith Of their fathers.
and Of their failure 70 adopt any other
religious belief in stead. The subjects