The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-02

AT the same Time senator IaIC
said, this, he was probably right.
The pressure of the Catholic
Church was then far greater than
the scattered and much less ef-
fective lobby of some Protestant
groups. Many members of the
church hierarchy, dominated by
Irish who hate England, were on
their way to making of the neu-
trality embargo another fight SIM
liar to that against Loyalist Spain.
Undoubtedly the attitude Of the
Church had much to do with the
stand of Senator Walsh of Mass
achusetts, and probably caused the
backing and filling of Senator
Lodge, who changed his mind on
neutrality several different times.
In fact, Catholic pressure, espec-
ally on the House of Representa-
tives, was so strong that 1t
created much concern m the Adj
ministration. n
At the same time it caused GER
tain New Dealers to act very Wig
orously in cooperation with such
Catholic leaders as Cardinal Mum
delein, Bishop She'll and DR..
Sheehy, with the result that the
Catholic Church is now about as
split over neutrality as the Profess
tants. There are now powerful
forces within the Church for lift
ing the embargo.
WHITE HOUSE LUNCHEON
It was no accident that Bishop
She'll of Chicago has luncheon
with the President last Wednes-
day. The Bishop had just flown
the Atlantic on a Clipper plane,
after visiting Rome, where he had
an audience with the Pope.
It was also no accident that he
had conferred with Roosevelt just
before he left the U. S. for Rome.
Immediately after Bishop Shell
left Rome, Osservatore Romano,
Vatican City newspaper, published
an editorial strongly supporting
Roosevelt.
Finally, 1t is no accident that
Bishop Shell is opening the
Catholic Youth Conference In
Cincinnati today monday with
q national radio hook-up. He
Is making this speech on the in
struction of Cardinal Mundelein.
Notion the afternoon fol-
owing Bishop Shells luncheon
with Roosevelt, Senator O Ma
honey of Wyoming. who is close
to the Church and who had been
very much on the fence regard
ing neutrality, suddenly announced
that he was standing with Roos-
evelt.
CATHOLIC LOBBY
Despite the neutrality position
of many high-placed Catholic
leaders, 1t remains q fact that the
most violent of all the opposition
to lifting the embargo comes from
Father Coughlin and other groups
within the Church.
The Sunday Visitor, Cath
ollie weekly sold at churches all
over the country, recently pub
lished strong front page editor
ial and an article by Gertrude
M. Coogan, formerly associated
with Father C0ughlin. Copies Of
this were sent to a large num-
Der Of Congressman.
In Cleve a n d Archbishop
Schrembs recently sent out q pas
toral letter which was read in all
churches in the Cleveland arch
diocese denouncing attempts to
lift the embargo.
In Brooklyn last week priests
took Q strong stand against ROOs-
evelt ON the embargo, and
friends Of AL Smith say that this
had much to do with his sud-
den decision to deliver q radio
broadcast supporting the Presi-
dent.
All members of Congress testify
that far and away the strongest
pressure against them, either Cath
Ollie or Protestant, is brought by
Father Coughlin. About one-half
Of their neutrality mail Is from
Coughlinites, while even more po-
tent are the Coughlin delegations
which have been storming Cap
itol Hill.
COUGHLIN THREATS
When Congress opened. delega-
tions from New York (the Chris
tian 'FRONT.' and Massachusetts
(the Paul Revere Society packed
the halls In rowdy MOOD. AS they
entered the House Offlca RuildiuR