The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-11-22
Ne1O Germany Rising
 From Present Strife
Hitler in Goddess Campaign Has Over Reached Himself Declares Father Bonn in Interview
 German Catholics Aroused

4SSSOI tO1Q bAAG 0OSVOA 0uA1Ody Advertiser in an interview yester- day.
 Hitler's current moves against the church have been "so open, Father Bonn declared, that Ger man Catholics will react as a group.
 International Jewry, Father Bonn continued, will act similarly against the Nazis in protest against the lesson taught in blood.
 Rising out of the turmoil in Germany, Father Bonn said, "a new, great Germany, devoted to the purposes of peace, embody- ing all the sterling qualities which the Germans inherently possess; qualities which make them great inventors, scientists, artists, schol- ars, musicians.
 Some day all that may be re- born from this turmoil unless the Germans destroy themselves in the process"
 Father Bonn said the latest out breaks in Germany make obvious and clear-cut Hitler's designs against the Catholic church. Drive on Religion
 'In the past" he said, "the Nazi'S persecution has been car- ried on in such subtle ways that native Germans have not dis cerned his true intent. "Hitler's true aim," he went on, Y "is to destroy all religions and inaugurate the worship of state in their place.
 Persecution of Catholics in Germany started at Hitler's wish because he was attempting to initiate the example of Mussolini, and create a totalitarian state.
 "In Italy the people were all of one religion, because a state religion was dictated by law Catholicism. It was Catholicism or nothing.
 Subtle Persecution Hitler. on the other hand, had no such clear-cut situation before him. To eliminate strife between religious groups in Ger many, and make the state 8 strong and unified whole, he thought he would do best to sim ply get rid of those religious groups.
 "The worship of the old Morse gods was nonsense, intended to l give the mobS a SuperStitiiuS out- let"
 For years before the current outbreak of religious strife 1n Germany according to Father Bonn, the persecution of Cath olic groups was carried on in subtle ways.
 | Many of the Catholics, par ticularly the younger ones, did moi realize Hitler's intention" he declared.
 "The Nazi party worked against the church in almost imperceptible ways. I know of several incidents related to me by friends who spent some time in Germany.
 Everything was done to give the people the impression that the church was working against the civic authorities"
 NUN TERRORIZED
 In one case, said Father Bonn. a nun, who lived absolutely clois- tered in her convent with no knowledge of outside affairs in Germany or elsewhere, was inter- rogated by seven burly Nazis until she was in a state of nervous col lapse.
 "Then," he said. "they started asking her questions about the Nazi government. A nervous wreck she made some discriminating answers, not knowing what she was saying.
 Quickly the Nazi issued an or der closing the convent as hostile to the Nazi state."
 "In another case" continued Father Bonn, students in Ger may were informed that they were free to attend Catholic schools and colleges if they so desired. But at the same time they were notified that they must att tend government schools as first choice as long as there were any vacancies in the government in Stitutions.
 | "The total effect was to require them to go to government main tained institutions and to keep | them out of the Catholic ones, be- cause the government schools were at the time far from full, and the Nazis saw to it that new buildings were erected fast enough to keep them far from full" The effect of the Nazi anit- church action was the same in the famous clergy trials" recently conducted, the Jesuit father said.
 "There were practically no con- victions, but to convict was, after all, not the complete object of the trials.
 while nearly all those tried were released, they were sent back to their respective parishes with the stigma of having been tried | O44 OC4AOuo SAlu4 SOoS oVAAA AA0AAo~AA0 over their heads.
 "The idea was simply to throw mud at them"
 Similarly, Father Bonn declared. the church riots and strife among religious groups in Germany be- fore the latest outbreak, though apparently spontaneous, were "ob- viously" backed and melted by the Nazi party.
 | ''In those days" he said, 'it was difficult to make out 8 clear case against the Nazis as persecu- tors of religion.
 'Now things are different. Things haven't looked blacker for the Catholics in Germany than they do now, but at least we know now what we are fighting.
 .'The result is that the vast bulk of Catholics in the Reich are swinging around to position ot opposition to Hitler. The vast majority of middle-aged Germans of Catholic faith, believe, are op-