The Washington times., 1922-06-14

z3s3 4# as the ma ajority
ts* t# of the workers
~MH5 "a y remain mere
WILLIAM HARD Tssss ear esEneIs; RS,
there ought to be Co o-partnership ar.
rangements" between labor and CAPT. |
tai. In which labor would have "a rea- |
sonable share in the management"
These opinions have caused II TO be |
severely attacked by such persons as
Ralph M. Easley, of the National
felt that the Roman Catholic Church |
needed to be saved by them from fall |
ing into economic heresies.
In the midst of such controveries |
there began to be dispatches printed,
and there began to be numberless
rumors- circulated to the general ef.
feet that an order had arrived from
Rome regarding the National Cath |
olic Welfare Council and that because
of this order the work of the council
would cease and the economic optn-
ions Of the council would henceforth
be considered as lying under papal
condemnation. Naturally the enemies
Of fhose opinions rejoiced. The al.
legged order from Rome was regarded
az a crushing blow to Roman Cath
olic participation in economic pro-
gressivism in this country.
II distinctly seemed, however. that
somewhere there must have been
some misapprehension. While the
Roman Catholic Church In the most
determined and the most powerful
enemy OF socialism in the world, It
In also true that vigorous measures
OF social reform have been steadily
I advocated and promoted by Roman
Catholic bishops In many countries
under the influence Of the bold en-
| cyclicals Of Leo the Thirteenth.
Today n Italy, under the very
eye of the Pope. the Catholic trade
unions are demanding on the Ital-
ian railways certain reforms corre-
spending almost precisely to the re-
forms demanded in this country BY
our own railway unions under the
inspiration OF Glenn z. Plumb. II
Catholic unions are demanding
| Plumb plan In Italy without rebuke
from the Pope, IL seems incredible
that the Vatican should seek to
combat the general moderate en-
lightened economic progressivism
of the National Catholic Welfare
Council at Washington.
| II
II now appears that there must
| have been some haste in rushing to
any such conclusion. The work OF
the National Catholic Welfare Coun.
Gil seems to be proceeding. 1t seems
to be proceeding In company with
similar work by the representatives
Of other religious communions In
| A knS fnNA
there will be delegates from the Ma
tional Catholic Welfare Council and
| delegates from the great and COM
prehensive Protestant body called
the Federal Council Of Churches Of
Christ in America, and delegates
from an equally authoritative body
of Jewish rabbis who will proceed
to the White House I'd leave a me-
mortal there on the subject Of action
by the United States Government to-
ward the coal strike.
| These delegates will maintain that
the Government should take steps
to get the coal operators to consent
| to a conference with the miners, and
they will maintain that the Govern
ment ought to have an agency for
determining the facts Of costs and
Of profits in the coal industry. Both
those ideas have been rejected by the
coal operators and accepted and sup
ported by the miners.
These three great religious or
CARNATIONS therefore will be taking
a position on the labor side Of the
existing coal argument and against
the employer side.
Labor is always complaining TO
the effect that the church is
against labor" The fact is that
labor today. in the peaceful lawful
part OF its activities and aspiratio
is getting a support from the clergy
that would be invaluable to II II
il only would intellieently make
use of 1t. Labor ought to be help
ing itself by claiming that the
church Is for II, instead Of hurt
ing itself by claiming that the
church is against It.
The truth is that the clergy in
question are neither for nor against
labor nor capital but are simply
taking certain positions which they
believe to be required by good
morals ana which they would like
to see both labor and capital accept
and believe ana live by.
The National Catholic Welfare
Council, through its Department Of
Social Action. has Just issued a bul.
letin calling attention to the dangers
involved In the recent decision OF
the United States Supreme Court
holding that trade unions may Dos
sibly be sued for the calling Of
strikes. -
Father Edmund Walsh, a repre-
sentative OF the National Catholic
Welfare Council. has tust gone back
10 Russia In furtherance Of q mis-
sion Of inquiry 70 which he was sum
moned by TIE Pope himself. II does
extinguishing the National Catholic
| Welfare Council 10 e. prssent In