Evening star., 1940-08-11
Catholic Editor Denies
The Convent Is True

S
The Convent Is True -
10 the Editor Of The Star:
On the book review page Of The
washington Star, Sunday, July 28,
there is a, review of the book, 1.-THE
Convent" written by one Alyse
Simpson.
The Stars reviewer starts of her
review by saying categorically. This
Is a true story
To such a categorical statement,
I say, without fear of contradiction,
that The Stars reviewer did not
make the slightest investigation to
find out whether the story was true
or false. I challenge the reviewer
of the book to disprove my accusa-
ton.
The reviewer of the book shows
in her review an ignorance of con-
vent life in the use of terms, etc., in
reference to convent life.
For her information, let me say
that in the July issue of the
Catholic Review, official organ Of
the archdioceses Of Baltimore and
Washington, there was carried a
story sent to the N. C. w. G. News
Service by George Barnard, London
correspondent of the N. c. w. G.
The latter service Is to the Catholic
press what the A. p, U. p, I. N. S.
services are to the secular papers.
Mr.. Barnard's story quoted let
ters interchanged between John P.
Boland, secretary of the Inter-
national Truth Society, London, and
Alyse Simpson, author of "The Con-
vent" Briefly as I can, let me sum-
marize the correspondence between
Mr.. Boland and Alyse Simpson.
Mr.. Boland asked Alyse Simpson
to give him the exact location Of
"The Mystic Rose Convent" in
Switzerland, the convent in which
she allegedly had experienced the
extraordinary things which she tells
about in her book.
In her first letter of reply to Mr..
Boland, Alyse Simpson wrote:
MY book, The Convent quite
contrary to what 7 expected, seems
to have created a bit of an uproar
in America.
II am rather sorry about that.
BY now I am sure the storm has
died down and I do not see the
good of publishing the name Of the
convent"
That letter is f1ippant. 1t lodges
the question and it refuses to give
the information wanted. Did Alyse
Simpson expect the Catholics in
this country to accept her insulting
allegations? Is Alyse Simpson a
Catholic today?
Mr.. Boland was insistent. He.
wrote to Alyse Simpson again. He
told her if her book had been a
novel her allegations might have
been overlooked, but as she pro-
claimed it "a narrative of events
in which the happenings are true"
the matter assumed an entirely diff
ferent aspect. Alyse Simpson re-
piled to Mr.. Boland's second letter
by saying she wanted time to think
it over" She wished to write to
the convent and one or two people
overseas. Since the war was on, it
would take some time to get re-
plies" but she would write as soon
as she had received the replies from
her friends.
Mr.. Boland waited long time
for the promised presentation of
facts. A third time he wrote to
Alyse Simpson and she replied with
finality: II am very sorry that, after
much consideration, I have decided
that it would be breach of conf
aence on my part to give you any
detailed information as regards
The Convent I must, therefore,
ask to be excused from saying any
thing furtiaer in the mstter."
You see, therefore, Alyse Simpson
refused to give the slightest clue to
the convent in which she said she
had been novice. She refused to
. give facts asked for, though she had
given alleged detailed information
In her book.
There Is no cvnvent of "The Mystic
Rose" in Switzerland. I do not
believe those is amy such convent
in thQN world.
No intelliaentss Catholic believed
what Ayse Simpson said in her
book. What sl,s said was too BIZ
zarre and not In keeping with things
Catholjc. e
And yet, though Alysc Simpson
refuses to give, any, information in
Neriflcation of what she alleges, the
book reviewer for The Star starts
out her review by saying, "'The
Convent is true story"
Unless the book reviewer in The
Star can tell us how she knows
"The Convent, is q true story, un-
less she can tell us what means she
took to verify the story, then I say
The Star owes its readers an apo
losy for publishing an unsupported
and unsupportable statement which
is an insult to the Catholic sister
hood and an offense to a great
number of its readers
VINCENT DePAUL FITZPATRICK.
Managing Editor. The Catholic
Review. Official diocesan paper Of
the Archdiocese of Baltimore and
Washington.
Editors Note-In saying that
"'The ConDent' is true story,"
The Stars book reDieDer should
hare made clear that this yas
the publishers claim, not her
o,0n. Neither The Star nor the
reDie,Der conducted any investi-
cation as to the books authen.