The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-03-11
INTERESTING LETTER FROM OUR
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
international Catholic Defence League
Catholic Features of the Forth
coming oronation-Events in
Portugal, Spain, France.
London. Feb. %, 1911

London, Feb. %, 1911.
We hear a good deal of talk these
days of wars and rumors of wars be-
tween nations of the Old World, and
even within those nations. But war
between two great hostile powers has
already broken out, and the opposing
armies of each are to be found in
every European country, while the
struggle becomes fiercer and the en-
counters more frequent every day. AS
war correspondent of the Church Mill
tant we shall pass from one battle
ground to another, surveying on our
Journey the conditions which make
for victory or defeat in the various
countries involved, getting a glimpse
sometimes at the strategical position
of this or that outpost of our Holy
Faith, and looking through the enc
mics plans of action when we have
the chance.
Of course | refer to the warfare
which the Church is compelled to wage
with the united hosts of Freemasonry
unbelief, and modern paganism which
have taken such hold on the world
of today, and, having captured fortress
after fortress, are endeaYoring to drive
the Church back to the catacombs
from whence she rose so glor1ously
centuries ago. Just at present we are
here in Britain, because most i'm
portant movement fraught with far
reaching consequences, is here in prog
ress of formation, and with the
strangeness of coincidence this coun-
try, whose inhabitants decline military
service, is the first to submit care
fully thought out scheme of conscrip-
ton for Catholics, that all may take
their places in the fighting ranks Of
the Church's army.
international Catholic Defence League.
You have no doubt already heard of
the suggestion mooted at the first Ma
tional Catholic Congress in England
last August, by an energetic and en-
thusiastic northern priest, Father
Dowling, for the raising of an Inter-
national Catholic Defence League.
That suggestion was received with ap-
plause which has been echoed by the
Catholic world, and subsequent events
in Portugal and elsewhere have only
served to emphasize the need of new
force in our struggle. The wave of
irreligion accompanied by a cores
ponding degeneration in morals, which
is sweeping over Europe, the increase
of crime, and the revolt against all
authority even in the civil order, which
has come to the front now that we
are enjoying the companionship Of
those first fruits of the secular educa-
ton introduced so universally some
thirty years ago, and the effects of
which are typified in the present gen.
Grafton, has already engulfed many
fair ideals of the human race, and left
nothing but desolation behind. That
the enemy is well pleased with the
results of capturing the children is
only too well evidenced in the fight
which is raging or pending everywhere
for the schools of the land. In France
it is desperate, in England it is ap-
preaching, in Catholic Germany where
the schools are jealously guarded there
is a host which can make its Will
felt in the laws and councils of the
nation, and a people, be it also noted,
that has a strong Catholic press.
There is one little spot. of green earth
that still resists the encroachments
of the goddess teacher-Ireland. In
the House of Commons the other day
the Chief Secretary 1oored one of his
most formidable adversaries, Sir Ed
ward Carson, who was Illuminating
wildly against Home Rule, by the one
little question, could you deal with
Irish education? You know you dare
not touch it." And all the brilliant
X. G. was able to reply was, 'How
can II" If only France, and Spain
and Portugal had been able to cry as
Catholic ireland has done, to the one
who would rob their little ones of the
faith: "Iou know you dare not touch
it," how different would be their con
dition today.
Well, Father Dowling having tha
quality in him which makes for sue
cess has not been content to talk, bu
has begun to act. He has taken
very big step towards realization thil
week by securing the first episcopa
sanction of the scheme. 1t comes
from the Catholic Hierarchy of Ireland
and is dependent upon the approva
of the Vatican, 1t is probable tina
the English Bishops will also conside
the plans of Father Dowling's Leagu
favorably when they meet in Loy
Week, and the good priest has lost n
time meanwhile in preparing his me
mortal to the Holy See and obtainin
influential signatures thereto. Thi
document will set out the Constitution
and aims of the League which ar
briefly as follows.