Evening star., 1939-05-26
Msgr. Ryan Praised
As Veteran Liberal
AT Birthday Dinner
Prominent Personoges
And Just Friends
Honor Educator

Sdptdl1lS VI lllUuSIi :, ldUOi 1CdoCi D,
statesmen, jurists, f1nanciers, social
workers, churchmen and "just
friends" dined last night at testi-
monial dinner in honor of the 10th
birthday anniversary of the Right
Rev. Msgr. John A. Ryan, .. D.,
professor of, sociology at Catholic
University and director of the de-
partment of social action of the Ma
tional Catholic Welfare Conference
Included in the speakers from the
head table at the Willard Hotel last
night were Felix Frankfurter, as
sociate justice of the Supreme Court;
Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins,
Senator Mead, Democrat, of New
York; the Right Rev. Msgr. Joseph
M. Corrigan, rector of the Catholic
University; the Most Rev. Peter L.
Ireton, secretary of the Board of
Trustees of the Catholic University
and the Right Rev. Michael j..
Raedy, general secretary of the N.
G. w. c., who acted as toastmaster.
Associate Justice Frankfurter, in
congratulating Msgr. Ryan, said:
His work as a Christian teacher
has been recommended by a per-
sonality in which social zeal, aggres-
sive integrity, and homely simplicity
have been enhanced by an almost
coercive charm.
Gained Liberal Interpretation.
"It has been the distinction of
Msgr. Ryan as teacher of theology
to apply dogmas avowedly con-
servative to the solution of prob
lens affecting the welfare of the
masses in ways that have gained him
general recognition as a foremost
liberal.
1--WE confidently wish that Msgr.
Ryan will carry on, unmindful of
the clock, for many years, and that
in the troubled and uncharted seas
which the world now sails, his wis
dom may point out stars for the
course and his kindness may bring
comfort to weary mariners"
Also present at the speakers table
were Associate Justices Hugo Black
and William o. Douglas, and Sec
retary of the Treasury Henry L..
Morgenthau.
Secretary Perkins, who with As
sociate Justice Frankfurter, broad
cast her testimonial speech over a
Nation wide hookup of the Columbia
Broadcasting System. earlier in the
evening told the gathering of more
than SIS persons that MSgr. Ryan was
among the first to apply practical
Christianity to the problems of
labor. Secretary Perkins said Msgr.
Ryan had lived to see his dream of
80 years ago, a minimum wage re-
quired by law, come true.
Senator Mead said Msgr. Ryan
had always been a steadfast advo-
cate of liberal government. "He was
a pioneer in the field of liberalism" :"
Senator Mead said. "It is his pro-
gressiveness for the betterment of
man that I congratulate"
Roosevelt Sends Congratulations.
Written congratulations from the
President of the United States were
received by Msgr. Ryan last night.
A note from the Chief Executive
said, Because of your perenially
youthful spirit and your zest for
service in behalf of your fellow men
particularly the underprivileged-
1t is difficult to realize that you have
attained the scriptural age of three
score and ten.
But your birthday gives your
friends a welcome opportunity to
tell you of their appreciation of the
good works which you have wrought
through all the years of your active
career.
with voice and pen you have
pleaded the cause of social justice
and the right of the individual to
happiness through economic secur-
ity, a living wage and an oppor-
tunity to share in the things that
enrich and ennoble human life.
Happily, at seventy you are un-
wearied in your labors. In extend
Ing congratulations may I express
the hope that for long years to
come you may continue to labor
for those causes of which you have
been such an earnest advocate ano
unselfsh champion
Among those sending their con-
gratulationS were Gov. O'Conor OF
Maryland, United States Housing
Administration Director Nathan
Straus and the Apostolic Delegate
Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicog-
mani.
Msgr. Ryan, addressing those who
gathered to do him honor, spoke In
turn to commend the Immense
progress I note in social and labor
legislation during the years since
1881"
Names Four Important Acts.
He named four measures of Fed
eral legislation which he said were
more important than any acts in
previous United States history. These
Include insurance of bank deposits
the National Labor Relations Act
the Fair Labor Standards Act ano
the Social Security Act. He pre-
dicted the act providing insurance OF
bank deposits would never be at
tackled in the courts and that the
Fair Labor Standards Act would be
sustained when it comes up fol
action before the Supreme Court.
LAS far as I know" Msgr. Ryan
said, 81 was the first person pub
licly to advocate family living wage
ordained and enforced by law. Thai
was in 1906. Today we have such
legislation on the statute books o1
the Federal Government.
THE reconstruction of the socia
order and the reorganization of oul
industrial system is the long range
program before the American people
It does not imply Fascism, nor Com.
munism nor Nazi-ism. We want ar
economic reorganization which viii
be democratic and self-governins
from top to bottom. This means
the adoption and adoption of tn,
guild system, as outlined by Pop
Plus XII, in his recommendation
concerning occupational groups
This program offers the only escap'