New-York tribune., 1919-06-13
Catholics Say
PrOtestantS lrV
To Win France
Archbishop Hayes and W. D.
Guthrie Sound Warning
at Mass Meeting Here
to Start Counter Move

At a dinner last night at the Wal
dorf-Astora at which Archbishop
Patrick j. Hayes presided, clergy and
laity representing 297 parishes of the
archdiocese united for the defence of
the faith under the auspices Of the
Society to Help the Devastated
Churches Of France, of which William
D. Guthrie is chairman.
In the conference that followed it
was charged that the Protestant de-
nominations, chief Of them the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, were prosely-
tizing in the devastated regions of
France and Belgium, where the Cath
olic Church claims upward of 80 per
cent of the population.
France Catholic in Soul
Archbishop Hayes, addressing the
600 Catholics present, said:
"France is Catholic in soal in heart
in tradition, in spirit We ought as
Catholics to do all we can for those
who still remain faithful to the living
Church.
owe are trying to uphold the hand of
General Foch, himself a good Catholic
as we'll as good general, in giving to
his soldiers an opportunity to kneel
down and hear the holy sacrifice of
the mass. We are asking you to help
the Catholic poor who are there with
out places of worship.
New York is under obligation te
Catholic France, for when we needed
help in days gone by France aided US
and now when she needs help we must
assist her. 1t is in the spirit of faith
hope and charity that tonight we
launch this appeal to the Catholics OF
New York"
Complain of Proselytizing
Mr. Guthrie, who is chairman of the
finance and executive committee, as
we'll as of the chdocesan organiza-
ton, said:
Zone of the most patriotic and soul
stirring incidents of the war was the
spirit of religious tolerance and co
operation that was displayed in tho
United War Work campaign of las
October and November. when the
American people, combined in a com.
mon national cause. without regard tt
creed, raised an enormous joint funt
of over $l70,000,000 for the moral ane
social welfare of our soldiers and sail
ors. The spirit of unity in dealing
with the problems of the war seemed
from the religious standpoint to prom
Use, and we profoundly hoped assured
the dawn Of an era of greater ant
truer religious tolerance among
Americans.
"Neither the war nor its aftermath
Of misery and desolation seemed te
US Catholics to furnish any fitting OF
proper opportunity for attempts a,
prosclytizing among the Protestants OIL
Jews or Mahomctans of the war
stricken and afflicted countries
Seeks to Undermine Faith
at was, therefore, with surprise ano
regret that we Catholics learned that the
various American Protestant dcnomna
tions were uniting to conduct immediate
ly prosclytizing campaign among the
Catholic population of France, anc
were proclaming that United Ameri
can Professionalism would seize upor
this time and crisis to extend theil
faith in Catholic France and Belgium
'HHu we dISo sym pdtHlZcu Kccnly WIFI
the keen resentment felt by so many
OF our French friends toward those
American Protestant organization.
which in dispensing American charity
we're seeking to undermine the faitl
IN Catholic France and to induce Cath
oiic women and children, hundreds OF
thousands Of whom are the poor widows
and orphans of Catholic heroes whf
died for France and Christian civiliza
ton, to abandon the religion of theil
fathers.
when the war broke out, the Prot
cstant population of the invaded ant
devastated districts Of Northern ane
Eastern France was not more thar
one per cent and fully 95 per cent o!
the remainder were Catholics. The
same is true Of Belgium, which in 1915
had only about $4,000 Protcstants ane
$4,000 Jews out Of an estimated popu
lation Of about 5000 900, that is to say
about onc-half Of one per cent Of Prot
cstants and Jews.
"Thc Methodist Episcopal churchcl
OF America have recently raised or sc
cured pledges for fund Of $140,OOO, ,O0(
for home and foreign missions, ant
among the objects outlined in the pub
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