Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-31
MUSSOL|N| CLOSES
CATHOLIC SOCIETIES
THROUGHOUT ITALY
Order Not Official. but Pope
Refers to It as "Saddest
Day of My Life"
VATICAN PLACES CLUBS
IN CHARGE OF BISHOPS
Governments Action Held Based
on Belief of Objectionable
Political Activity.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ROME. May 3o.-Premier Mussohni
+or,rht extended his order disbandlng
the Catholic Action Society to all Oh
Jtalv and Pope Plus XII, after a con-
ference with the society's ofnclais'
placed the organization directly IN
charge Of the bishops of the Catholic
dioceses throughout the nation.
The order was not officially announced
bv the government, but it was SAID II
would be promulgated tomorro" OF
Monday. 1t was made known to the
Vatican, however, and Pope Plus re-
ferred to It this evening in his address
to the Salesian graduates, declaring that
TODAY was "one Of the saddest days OF
my life"
Premier Mussolini tonight called a
reetinc OF the directors of the Fascist
party to discuss the situation WIN tne
Vatican. The meeting will be held June
2. The directorate of the party consists
of the secretary, Giovanni Glattl, TWO
undersecretaries and four inspectors.
Decree Came rs Surprise.
The uremier's dissolution decree came
as A surprise. 1t had been rumored that
he had a decree on his desk covering the
entire country but even when the
Catholic clubs were closed earlier today
in Rome. neither government circles
nor the Vatican appeared to believe tnat
country-wi action would be taken.
Until tonight it was assumed that ths
controversy would be settled in some
manner. In closing the clubs in Rene
this morning police told the c:uo OIL
ficials 1t was merely temporary meas
VI, designed for their protection.
It was assumed the instruction OF th:.
Pope to the bishops to lake PERSONA
crsrge Of all the branches OF the @ tho
lie action in their diocese vas prooaolv
sent out after the Ponti1 mao icsrn &c,
tie real i~port OF the closing OF the
clro in Fomc.
rs reference to the Lateran treaty
and Ire Conccriat. in his speech TO
the Salcsian graduates this evening.
YVES taken to indicate he would contest
the legality OF the dissolution OF the
socicss.
"Saddest Hours in Our Life"
In his address to the Salesian grad
mates Pope Plus said that he welcomed
them lin the sad hours, the saddest
among many sad ones in our lie:
I'VE tell you as your father and as
bishop of Rome, you come 70 console
us at the dusk of day that has seen
brutal violence visited upon that winch
lie dear to us-the Catholic action.
Naturally we have the right and
duty to have recourse to the treaty
and concordat and steps are already
being taken. But nothing can preVent
the bishop Of Rome from raising MS
voice. ,
"one may demand ones life, but not
ones silence. We tell you TO nouce
YOU to pray for the plans Of the POPE
ard especially for those of these days.
Relations Become Critical.
Relations between the church and
state. strained by anti-Cathollc ols-
orders OF the past few days. became
even more critical when the ponce
closed all the Catholic CLUBS OF honie
and pope Plus Cancelled the EuchariSlic
coneresS which was to have been held
next week. .p
THE government also closed three
p,avprounds financed by the American
knights of Columbus and the FohtlIi
revoked the appointment OF papal
delegate to the centenary celebrations
of st. Anthony Of Padua.
The governments actions were Pc
lieved to have been based on psilei
that the Catholic Action organization
was participating In politics to an OBJ
iectinnable extent The Pcpe's actions
were explained on the ground that
..since there can be no assurance that
the Pontiff Is free from insult In Rome
itself. there is none that his personal
representative will be immune from m
slit outside Rome"
This sudden tension came after what
was believed to have been lull which
enabled the two governments to conduct
DIPLOMATIC negotiations looking to
settlement The papal nuncio visited
Foreign Minister Dino Grand only yes
terday and it vas ae-umed he Med the
PONIES protest against anti-Catholic
demonstrations by Fascist students
earlier in the week.
Vatican City Guarded.
The Pontiff contends his invo'ablity
Is guaranteed by the Lateran treaty and
the conference yesterday was expected
to result in an exchange OF views OF
more peaceable nature.
The situation assumed such proper
tions today, however that the Vatican
CITY was guarded at all entrances and
those who sought to enter were sub
rnitted to close questioning.
The government. it is said. takes the
poSition that the Catholic Action
Society has become a sort OF political
party which could make itself the
nucleus of united opposition. 1t is be-
Continued on Page 5. Column 81