The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-10-14
MESSAGES TO
CHURCH GROUPS
MADE PUBLIC
Letter to LutheranS of
America Brings Charge
of Intolerance.
PRESIDENT is SILENT
unjust to Executive Says
His Secretary in Reply
to Critics.
BY PAUL II. MALLON
United Press stan Correspondent

WASHINGTON. Oct. 14.-Friends
OF President Hoover moved today to
refute the allegation by the Rev
John J. Burke. general secretary Of
the National Catholic Welfare Con-
ference. that President Hoover had
violated "the spirit if not the let
Ter Of his oath OF Office" in a re-
cent letter to the Lutherans Of
America.
They made public private tele-
gram which President Hoover sent
to George Cardinal Mundelein
Catholic bishop Of Chicago, on Sept.
"a. expressing cordial greetings to
1he National Eucharistic Conference.
Burke. in his statement, said the
President's message to the Luther
ans was ian insult to many mil
lions of American citizens" and
mir. Hoover's friends were moved be-
cause of the implication that the
chief executive had deviated from
the people of the religious tolerance.
Burke objected particularly to the
President singing out the LutheranS
and congratulating them on "the
changes it introduced from older
conception Of religion and govern
ment" and also declared the Presi-
dent was historically inaccurate" in
his statement.
Publishes Message to Catholics
The telegram to Cardinal Munde-
1ein, which was read to about 10000
persons assembled at the Euchar-
6stic conference at Omaha, was made
public by friends of the President to
prove that he had not singled out the
Lutherans and is guided by religious
tolerance.
The message to Cardinal Munde-
lein follows:
I will be obliged if you will ex-
press my cordial greetings to the
meeting this evening of the ma
tional Eucharistic congress at which
] am informed you will preside and
my appreciation of the value of
spiritual ideals and of religious OBJ
servance in the life of the nation
which are indispensable foundations
OF the social order and of enduring
political institutions"
Following Burke's statement Mon
day night, George Akerson, secre-
tary to Mr.. Hoover, issued a state
ment saying the implication Of
Burke, lis an injustice both to the
Presidents own sentiments and the
complete religious tolerance he has
always felt and has always advo-
Gated both publicly and privately"
Hoover Remains Silent
Neither the message to the Luth-
Grams nor TO Cardinal Mundelein
was made public at the White
House. With the publication of the
Mundelein telegram the White
House now intends to let the matter
rest
Mr.. Hoover personally had no
con ment to make. it was said.
TIE Akerson reply was made pub
lie a few hours after the National
Catholic Welfare Council quoted
Fat Burke in part as follows:
vt does matter very much to the
NNAlAAC COllotAbbNAOAAdA OIL uClulG VI
our country, and its institutions,
that the President of all the peo-
pie, who is called by virtue of his
office to respect the religious rights
bf all, congratulateS one particular
religious body on the changes it in
Produced from older conceptions of
religion and government, and de-
clares that we as a nation should
commemorate the Protestant per-
sons and the events from which
hhese mighty forces shaping our
country have sprung.
Congratulated Lutherans
The letter of the President stated:
I send cordial greetings to the
Americans of Lutheran faith who
are celebrating on Oct. 81 the ami
verSary of the Protestant Reforma-
ton and the four hundredth ami
Nersary of the reading Of the Augs-
burg confession, from which date so
many of the changes in point Of
view from older conceptions both
of religion and government.
The effects of these historical
events are reflected in our national
life and institutions, in religion
through the predominant numbers
of adherents to Protestant faiths
and in government through the
principle of separation of church
and state. 1t is fitting that We
should commemorate the persons
and events from which these mighty