Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-02
|Deplores Treatment
Religious Minorities
In European Countries

Washington, Nov. 1-(AP)-Dan-
ger spots for the whole world are
being created by the treatment of re-
ligious minorities in some of the Eu-
ropean countries, said DR.. Charles 5.
mcfarland, general secretary of the
Federal Council of Churches in re-
port to the administrative commit
tee, following an extended visit to
churches in Europe.
Pennsylvania, which has given to
Rumania by the Versailles treaty,
with the exception Of Asia Minor,
DIR. Mcfarland declared presented
the most serious situation in Europe
today and to meet this and other
conditions the League of Nations
should readjust or reinterpret the
treaty of Versailles.
He urged the people of the United
States to use their influence to per-
suade all governments to treat minor
tiles with sympathetic consideration,
adding that 1.-The government of the
United States cannot be deaf and
blind to these situations without
, culpability for any disaster tina may
ensue."
Czechoslovakia was commended for
its attitude toward religious MINORS
ties, which DIR. Mcfarland said to
some extent sets an example for the
rest of Europe. The Lithuanian sit
uation was helped by permitting
churches of German speaking people
to have organic relationship with
their sister churches in Germany.
1.-THE situation in Poland has been
greatly aggravated, however he said,
land the mistake of the Rumanian
government, is not so much in what
it is trying to do, as it is the method
employed. 1.-THE Rumanian effort to
induce uniformity and identify at one
stroke of two peoples of such differ
ing language, customs and traditions
is the commission of both wrong
and blunder especially when this
is attempted by forcible means.
1.-THE most sensitive point is that
of the confessional schools and, while
the Rumanian government Will find
sympathy for. its efforts to develop a
public school system, the manner in
which 1t is taking over the confess
sional schools and properties, involv-
| ing the sudden dispersement of both
faculties and pupils, is the serious
thing.
There Is probably no doubt but
i what. these Hungarian populations
are obviously very far from being
w Ole-HtdIleu, lOydi ClliLSLS " INu
MANIA and it is quite probable that
men associated in a responsible way
with the churches are participating
as a bloc in political affairs. It can
also hardly be denied that on pre-
vious occasions, Austria Hungary
pursued a similar course with alien
,, minorities. The difficulty Is that ap-
parently Rumania is continuing the
old method Of revenge, repression and
force. II.
ut is obvious 4 enough that the
Treaty on record with the League Of
Nations is not being observed either
in letter or in spirit, and 1t is to be
hoped that the League of Nations.
now that it is gathering such moral
power and influence, may be able to
exercise it's proper control in these
situations.
ut does not alter the Polish situa-
ton by saying that the Poles are now
simply treating the Germans the way
the Germans once treated the Poles.
1t is a question as to whether a new
order is to bring justice and peace or
the old order is simply to perpetuate
the War;"
After contrasting the efforts made
in Czechoslovakia, and Lithuania to
bring about a better treatment Of
minorities, DR.. Macfarland said these
danger spots were mtde so by keep
ing alive the political conditions and
methods, the national and racial an
tagonisms. and the social and econo-
mic Embellishments that helped to
bring on the war