The Washington herald., 1920-01-31

DcucuiCL Nv 10 PfSPoafhe " ~
sue a series of encyciicai letters on!
social and labor subjects. These
win be addressed to the entire
Catholic world. They will not
merely repeat the substance Of
Leo's "rerum novarum" letters. but
will go far beyond it.
The documents probably will be
published ast soon as the United
States definitely disposes of the
treaty of Versailles. They will be
liberally. even radically toned. but
will implicitly or explicitly take
square issue with Bolshevism.
The sociological trail for His
Holiness has been largely blazed
by Don Sturzio. in Italy. and the
National Catholic Welfare Council
in America. This information has
come To me from generally relia-
BILE sources at Rome. and is worthy
of credence.
Christian CoIIectivism.
Indications are that the Official
Church is retracing her steps to-
ward Christian Collectivism. Social
and economic practices of an earlier
Christian era will be the Catholic
counter action against materialis-
tic Socialism and its present day ex-
pressions. The Christian Collec-
twist will be set up not only to
Withstand the temptation of the
Russian Bolshevist but to challenge
him to duel.
Italy's Popular Union-a recog-
nized Catholic party-is under the
leadership of a Sicilian priest, Don
Sturzio. The official Socialists
elected 156 deputies to the Camera
and the official Catholics. lo1. Be-
tween them, they control the Nitti
government. but the premier leans
upon the latter rather than the
former.
Through Sturzio's influence, the
Catholic party has met the Italian,
Bolsheviki on all questions of fair
treatment to labor and protection
and encouragement to the conta-
dini. These are the peasants and
unlike the city workers they are.
with few exceptions. practicing
Catholics. Catholics and Socialists
only decisively part company on
Italy's foreign policy and especially
her attitude toward Russian Boil
shevism.
In this connection. mary a political
eye is on the representatives of the
Soviet, who are now In Italy. A
day or, two ago. they were received
by Premier Nitti and the confer
ence waA csmeunSg ged as a parley
concerning Russian war prisoners.
Whether they will play big poll
tics" and also make an EFFORT to
see the Pope is an interesting
speculation.
Monsigner Cerrctti Fails.
The Pontiff's approval Of ltaly's
Catholic Party and his support OF
Don Sturzio give added prestige
AMI Importance 10 this new Italia.
Cataolic :.cIi>ity. However. the
movement of the American C".no-
llC DlSuOlS Is w ho
from The t.tu=Zian pattern. IS q
matter of fact, the Italian platform
was erected after the American
and has long been inclined to bor-
row the latter's planks. But IL is
not impossible that both programs
tc an extent will join and become
loose links in a worldwide chain.
There are governments and ele-
ments in the Old World which op-
pose any public encyclicals, such
as His Holiness contemplates. par
.icuIariy at this time. Months ago
when / was at Rome when Bene-
dict proposed to give expression
to certain labor and social ideas
and suggestion he was diplomati-
c:illy silenced.
Moreover. Monsignor Cerretti. the
assistant papal secretary OF state.
was sent to America Ito attend the
Jubilee celebration of Cardinal
Gibbons" While here, he at
tempted to delay, for the time be-
ing, sociological action on the part
of the American bishops. His mis-
sion was an unexpected and an IL
Eliminating failure, and the lesson
was not lost upon the Vatican
Influence of Bishops.
Present signs are that Rome will
borrow a deal of the social-indus-
trial thunder of the American epis-
copate. The Pope's encyclical solu-
tion of the problem Of capital ana
labor promises to be defined in some
thing like the terms of Bishop Null
doom. of Rockford. Ill.
Collective bargaining. labor's rep
resentation in business management.
profit sharing. cooperative schemes
and possibly certain forms of gov
erpment ownership. where the ne
cessities Of life are at stake. will
apparently be advocated. In this
period of reconstruction. Benedict's S
writing on the sociological wall is
sure to be read by Catholics every
where and to have a far-reaching
influence on Catholic thought and
practice.
Lloyd George and Allies.
The allied policy toward Soviet Rus
sia is almost certain to follow a more
clearly defined direction within the
next two weeks or less. Moderates
in the English Labor party, like the
extremists, now urge peace with Rus
sia, declaring that British workers
generally are opposed 10 military
campaign. This attitude OF the La