Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-04
Think Irish Catholic
Hierarchy Has Yoked
Itself With Germany

London on Sunday evening, the Rev.
little grey minister" who made such
a brilliant lecturing and preaching tour
| of American cities half a dozen years
ago-said that the Roman CNholic
/ hierarchy in Ireland had taken an I'M
precedented course OF organizing re-
! sistance 10 Irish CONSUMPTION. The
war, which had been forced upon the
! inha bitants OF England. he said, was
no more their war than il was Ire
lands. II was humanity's war, and
! how. he asked. could self-reSpecting
| irishman be content to stand aside ?
| With the entry of America into the war
! the last shred of justification for alb
! staining from the conflict had disap-
I peared. and American public opinion
would show no sympathy with any who
| refused TO take their proper share in
! a struggle in which there could be no
! neutrals.
! Englishmen. said DR.. Campbell, did
! not want to be compelled to believe
( that the church of Rome all over the
world was working against them, yet
50 1t would appear. in Italy. Australia,
Canada, and now Ireland the story was
( the same-the church that had not had
{ one word to say in denunciaton of the
RAPE OF Belgium US H1- sTa:;;:tcnsly
interfering in an issue which had moth
ing t. DO with the free exercise of her
spiritual privileges.
If her reason for thus acting. the
! speaker continued, were her dislike OF
all war she might have show it soon
er. and in Germany; but she had not
| hampered Germany. and always her
| operations had told against the allies.
He said that Roman Catholics in
England were sincere patriots. and de-
voted heart and soul 10 their country's
| cause. Could they bring no influence
/ TO bear on their co-religionists in other
parts Of the empire?
| And the following day the London
| Times printed letter from the Earl of
| Denbigh. a noted English Catholic.
part of which follows:
! In your issue of April e5 a quota
/ ton from the New York Times begins
as follows: To murderers of priests.
! to ravishers of nuns. to destroyers of
/ churches and cathedrals. to sayers of
| catholics on Good Friday at mass in
| Paris the Irish Catholic hierarchy now
| turns in friendship As an English
! Catholic who has suffered sorely in this
| war, though convinced that my sons
! have died in great cause. | can not
/ blame anybody who comes to the same
! conclusion as the New York Times.
| IT almost makes me ashamed of the
| word Catholic to see the action now
| taken by the Irish hierarchy 70 com
| bat and resist the law This is a
measure Of self discipline and self-de
NAL submitted to by all the allies. II
mas been proved to be necessary for
| protecting the world, themselves. and
all they hold dear and sacred from
the brutal savagery Of the mad and
| ruthless nation endeavorng to obtain
| mastery over mankind for its own pur
poses.
1 can not believe the bishops and
priests Of Ireland are DESTROYS Of see
ing the victory of Germany in this war.
| Their action in thus placing themselves
at the head of the wild and spiteful
political move is incomprehensible. 1t
Is equally humilating to Catholics out
side Of Ireland and also to many in
Ireland to see the sacred rights of our
religion used in this manner. / am
|
incorrect to say, as some do, that the
vatican has thrown off the mask and
Is at one with Berlin.
Il am equally confident that what
ever may have happened in the past
ages with regard to vatican interfer-
ence here with politics as apart from
fehglon. our fellow countrymen may
rest entirely assured as to any recur-
renee in these days. The Irish Cath
oIc hierarchy has by this deplora BILE
nasty act done more harm to the cause
Of Catholicism and to that of peace in
Ireland than they can have any idea Of.
1t has at once revived all the accuse
lions against Catholics as to dual al
legiance' which we regard as nonsense,
| however much they may be credited
by those making them.
7 GU are right in saying it has given
q shock to the cause Of religious tolera-
ton that all Of us were approaching so
| highly. 1t has also famed all the dy-
ing flames Of those bitter religious ami
mosities which are, admittedly the rel
les OF savage penal laws, formerly in
ficted by protestant England.
With this terrific attempt to smash
US in progress it must at last have
dawned upon the most obtuse that the
| crucial factor is the combined one Of
| unity and manpower. America is Join
ing in the war in deadly earnest to an
extent perhaps not yet properly appre-
| ciated here and this is the moment
chosen by the ecclesiastical authorities
for not only combining with but actu-
ally leading the politicians in this ut
terly indefensible action which if it
is continued Will be absolutely suicidal
for their own cause. Far be it from
me TO say the British authorities have
no blame on their side, but two
wrongs do not make a right and moth
| ing can excuse the appalling calamity
which can only bring joy and encour-
1 agement to the Berlin authorities, who
all along have been making use of the
| Sim Fein agitation for their own ends.
How it can end no man can foresee,
but unless those responsible can bring
about an early return to sanity, they
and thew alone will have on their
shoulders any trouble that may befsM
an excitahie and easily led race. The
matter. therefore. rests thus: II the
irish hierarchy and politicians do not
| wish to be regarded by the whole Brit
| ish people, the allies, and especially the