The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-11-29

backed chair at his desk In the diocesan building in Brighton and freely discussed social and moral aspects of current affairs.
 It is there that his eminence spends much of his long day, which invariably begins at 5:30 in the morning and never closes before 9:30 at night. So confining are his duties that the cardinal, pianist and composer, rarely finds time to indulge his taste for fine music. But he was pleased to take time to present his views on problems of the day because, he felt, "they may do some good"
 Admires the President He expressed "unstinted admira- ton" of President Roosevelt but, with the question of American Soviet relations in mind, warned him to beware the promises of those "who come not to give but to get" He strongly denounced purveyors of immoral moving pie lures and books.
 Regarding repeal, a topic which he himself introduced, Cardinal O'Connell said:
 "f am happy to have seen the day on which prohibition has been wiped from the Constitution. It never had a place there. It was put there when most people had their backs turned, by blatant minority which did not hesitate to use the foulest and meanest meth ods. I hope the nation has learned it's lesson and will forever be on watch against the little cliques and factions who by hypocrisy and blackmail attempt every now and then to defraud the whole people of their constitutional and God given rights.
 Asks Wise Wet Laws "Now that that unworthy plan has passed, let us hope that those making and administering the laws will use the wisest and most ,pru- dent measures to obtain the best results in dealing with this ex- tremely difficult question of self indulgence and intemperance. It must not be done with hypocrisy or narrow mindedness. That would be another fatal mistake"
 His eminence then disclosed his broad views on the tavern plan, most controversial feature of the proposed liquor control law now before a special session of the Massachusetts legislature.
 Without entering into the poli- tics of the matter" he said, T am in agreement with editorials in several Boston newspapers recent ly in which the writers warn the legislature against unreasonable opposition to the tavern plan, op- position which would turn restau- rants into bar-rooms and open wider than ever the doors of | speakeasieS. The whole question | is one that must be met not as a financial but as a social problem.
 Tt must be remembered that the | Christian virtue is temperance, not absolute prohibition nor out and out self-indulgence. Today more than ever before the church is desiring to cooperate to the full est extent with the welfare of the state. The people must be infiu- enced to cultivate in season and out of season the great Christian virtue of temperance, in eating, drinking and talking"
 About Soviet Russia
 OdIulii V SOHuClI SdlQ ne Ildu | afternoon tea at the White House | recently at time when MT Roose- welt was studying all sides of the | Russian question, and that he was | impressed by the presidents "deep | desire to do what in his best judg- ment he could for the welfare of the nation." But he warned:
 "Nn man in hiS nnsifion nan af ford to be credulous, and of course he would not be the first president to be misguided by excessive credulity, especially in those who come not to give but to get. Espe- cially, I think, would it be .ex- tremely dangerous. to put any trust whatever in promises of those whose avowed purpose is war against God, all religion, and all | democratic forms of government"
 His eminence made it clear that | he referred to the assurances given President Roosevelt by Maxim Lit vinoff, Russian plenipotentiary.
 Asked if he thought there was a trend way from materialism in literature and art, Cardinal O'Con- nell recalled that the Catholic | bishops at 8 recent meeting in Washington "voiced a strong fear that the peoplesof this country, un- less a change in their general out look takes place. are developing into a purely pleasure-loving, ut terly selfish population" He con- tinued:
 Bad Becoming Worse
 "At time when common sense A sw,I straint and sobriety in all things ought to be the moral fibre with which to deal effectively with the present economic situation, the fact is that while the good are always | good, the bad are becoming con- stantly worse. The bishops are not | alarmists either by nature or by | profession. They understand hu- must have normal relaxation and | amusement, but if 1t is taken in | filth, as some of the moving pie lures certainly are and as some of | the pornographic literature cer- tainly is, then what can be expect ed but a reversal to the worst kind of organism?
 The prelate said he was delight ed to learn of the appointment of Dr A. Lawrence Lowell, former president of Harvard university, as head of the motion picture re- search council. q feel quite sure," he said, "that with his sense of what is decent and cultural and also his moral sense, especially in the upbringing of the youth of this generation, that the abuses of the motion picture industry will be very much curtailed-and let us hope utterly abolished"