The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-04-06
THIS PRIEST STARTED
SOMETHING IN DENVER
Would Papists in Govt Service
Mutiny if Convinced the Pope
is Pro-German2

as usual, it is a Roman Catholic
priest that is stirring things.
1t seems that one Major John
Robertson of the British army, a
Scotch divine, now in this country, IN
an address delivered in Denver in
which he gave his experiences as a
chaplain with the Scotch Highland
ers, charged that tho pope is pro-
German and expressed his opinion OF
such an attitude of the head of the
Roman church.
This aroused the ire Of Priest Nc
Menamin who, like many of his fel-
lows, is determined to suppress every.
thing anti-Catholic and he jumped
into the fight and proceeded to stir
things up. This priest isn't going to
stand for any unfavorable illusions
to his church, its pope, or the priests.
No, he isn't going to have it going
on in America. Haven't they men
in the army and navy, and doesn't
that give them a right to say what
other people can or cannot say or
read? To the priestly mind it is
plain case. Catholics have rights,
(which no,one disputes) and one of
them is to rule America and its peo-
pie, Ito this, none but Catholics can
agree).
So Priest McMenamin engaged the
services of U. S. District Attorney
Tedrow, who, whether he is a Roman
ist, pro-Romanist, or simply one Of
' those over-zealous officials who mag
inc that the burden of the country's
safety lies upon his shoulders, took
up the fight for the Roman church
and made mess Of it; for if the
priest and the attorney had kept out
of the matter, the affair would have
blown over and been forgotten, but
as it Is, it has attracted the attention
of the nation and may assume inter-
national Importance, though in the
end nothing will come of it.
We quote from the Rocky Mountain
NeWs, of Denver, for March 22nd.
wherein United States District At
torney Tedrow said:
~ am going to sift this affair to
the bottom. l am going to find out
who Major Robertson is, and what
country or society he is representing
on his lecture tour of the United
States. / will not stand for any man
making remarks in the district over
which l have jurisdiction which
might stir up strife among Americaps
of different creeds.
"A man who does this or attempts
to do so, is, in my opinion, whatever
his nationality, most valuable agent
Of the kaiser.
"If Major Robertson made the re-
marks accredited to him in his talk
Tuesday night, and attempts to do
so, believe the government would be
manifesting deep indulgence if it de-
ported him to his native country with
out subjecting him to other incon-
veniences.
"In view of the fact that there are
large number of men devout men,
bers of the Catholic faith in the
United States army and navy, there
is a possibility that some of them
might be influenced to desert or at,
tempt to cause mutiny among their
fellows if convinced that the head OF
their church was a pro-German and
working for the interests Of that
country.
"In that case the person or persons
SO influencing them by false state.
ments or otherwise would, in my
judgment, be guilty of violation Of
the espionage act"
District Attorney Tedrow Is very
indiscreet in his insinuation, that
some of the Catholics in the army
might desert or cause a mutiny il
convinced that the pope is pro- Ger
man and working for the interests oi
Germany. Does he mean that tn,
loyalty of Roman Catholics is 81
shaky that they cannot be depended
upon to serve the country? Tha
they are treacherous and, unreliable
and in an emergency would take W
Priest Phelan's infamous slogan O.
"To hell with the government"
Catholics have been telling the coun
try, that they take their religion
from the pope, but not their politics
That even if it were possible that tn,
pope and the church should make wa
on the United States, they would b.
loyal.
They point to their men in tn
army and navy as proof of thei
loyalty and declare that they will
shed the last drop of blood, (of thei
boys, not of the priests) in defend
ing the country.
We are willing that they shoul
make these claims good, for we be
lieve that at heart the great mass o
the Catholic laity are loyal and de
sirous of being good American citi
zens, and we sympathize with ther
as they unwittingly struggle alonI
under the burdens laid on them b
the priesthood.
We are willing to believe that
let alone by the politicians and cleri
cal conspirators of the church, an
allowed to read, think and act fo
themselves instead Of being used a
pawns and tools in the game tn
church is playing in America, the
would be pretty good citizens; aver
age up at any rate.
But if the church and the priest
are so loyal, why this sudden can
paign for the suppresson of criticism
and of free speech; this attempte
suppression of literature that give
mems views upon the pope or his fo
lowers; the suppression of discussion
and this campaign Of brow-beatin