The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-01-06
HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO TIL E
STRENGTH OF CATHOLIC
LAYMEN.

In "IiNs
Christmas in Germany-Manifesto Of
the Centre Party Honors for her
oric Religious - Criticism Of the
Observation-Disclosures Difficulty
in Tanganika-cardinal Bourne and
Westminster CathedraI-President
Of English College at Libson-con-
ferring of Degrees at Maynooth.
The country par excellence in which
to spend Christmas is surely Germany.
Nowhere is there a more perfect real
ization of the spirit of the children's
festival than in the Fatherland., The
open squares of every German town
are just now becoming forests Of
dark branches from the thousands of
fir trees large and small which are
brought from the woods for the great
festival. Everyone is engaged in
choosing his or her Christmas tree
and tiny children may be seen drag
ging their treasures, sometimes big
ger than themselves, home through
the streets. Then on Christmas night
the residential quarters of the cities,
towns, and villages, rich and poor,
will glow with avenues of light for in
every front window there will the
tree, cleaning with many jewelled
splendours and aglow with lights, so
that the whole street with it's blinds
up seems like an avenue in fairyland,
as the twilight closes over the houses.
The shops are already tricked out
with all the wonderful assortment of
dainties, which only this season brings
forth. The marzipans are in particu-
lar marvellous, every Wand of the
table and even rusty nails, hammers,
pottery and othe devices being imita-
ter to perfection. There are indeed,
few houses in the German Empire,
which the Christkind does not visit
with some joy for the little ones and
none but a homeless beggar would be
without his tree.
Manifesto of The Centre Party.
But Germany is engaged just now,
even at this season with deeply seri-
GUS considerations, for all the various
political parties, and there are many,
are preparing for the coming election.
At the dissolution of the Reichstag the
various political parties stood some
what as follows: The Centre Party
held 103 seats, the Conservatives, So;
the Social Democrats, So; the Nation
al Liberals, 81; the Poles, 20; the
Agrarians, IS; the Independents, II;
them. To lose it's balance of power
even against coalition the Centre
Party must lose forty-six seats. Dur
ing the last Parliament they lost two
seats on a balance. This powerful
organization has just issued it's Parlia-
mentary Election manifesto. 1t is a
document which eloquently testifies to
the progress and prosperity which the
Empire has witnessed under the aegis
of the Catholic Party In the pro-
gramme outlined reference is made to
the work already accomplished and
other work is promised. The policy
of defence of the country and of keep
ing peace in critical times by strength
of armament is adopted. Reference
is made to the state scheme for the
insurance of widows and orphans hap
PLY brought to conclusion, and the
unpopular scheme for the insurance of
clerks rejected. Occasion is taken to
point to the agrarian progress, the
manner in which commercial treaties
have flourished, the expansion Of the
home market and exports. Then it
points out what the Liberal coalition
attacks, how their war cries are a
struggle everywhere, a struggle
against Rome, a struggle against the
Catholic Church and struggle
against all forms of Christian activity.
The Centre Party declare themselves
in favor of the federated principles
of the rights of the people and popu-
lar representation, a wise economy
in expenditure, and an endeavor to
strongly further the moral and ma
terial good of the whole community.
Such is not an ambitious program of
the great German factor in politics,
the Catholic party, which rose in the
dark and stormy days of the Kultur-
kampf, to protect the interests of their
their holy religion, and now stands
for the best principles in modern poll
tics, and as the greatest bulwark
against the onflowing hordes of Social
ism.
A Heroic Religious Honored.
Seldom has greater honor been
paid any woman, than that rendered
to a humble religious lost week in
Cologne. The occasion was the funeral
of Sister Josepha Gertrude Kuhn
bache, General Superior of the Celle-
tines in the Kumpfergasse. After the
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