The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-27

lives for any nation"
 P. M. ASKS, WHAT ARE
 CATHOLICS GOING TO
 DO ABOUT IT?"
 During the past week we re- ceivAd an unsolicited copy of New York's nickel tabloid P. M. Mall ed to the parish school the copy was one of many mailed by P. M. to Catholics in many parts of the country. The paper Is New York'S new "liberal" daily, the editorial staff of which lists the names of many, who before the Moscow Berlin pact made 1t unfashionabe, were active fellow travellers, and some who have never successfully denied their Communist Party afflliation.
 The issue received Is that of the first of May which bears as It's most prominent headlines the question, "What Are Catholics Going to Do About 1t2" The Tt" would seem to be the diabolical persecution of the Catholic Church in Germany and the con- demnation of that persecution as described in thirteen inside pages by quotations from encyclicals, opinions of American Catholics, and many photographs of the ex- tremes reached by the new Nazi organism. In the accompanying communication P. M. states non- committally, We thought you'd want to read this issue, perhaps find in 1t material which will be useful In your own work"
 Remembering P. Ms origin and past policy and not forgetting It's public condemnation by the Presi- dent of the International Catholic Truth Society, one Is skeptical of It's sudden solicitude for the wel- fare of the Catholic Church. In. deed the Church bled more freely in Spain not long ago and some of the present editors of P. M. were then concerned only to ap. prove.
 For months P. M. has been working for an aggressive Amer lean intervention In the war, and when P. M. asks, What Are Catholics Going to DO About lt?", perhaps P. M. Is much more inter- ested In what they would have Catholics do about the war than In what they would have Catholics do about the persecution of the Catholic Church. Correctly does P. M. quote its Catholic authori- ties as condemning Nazi-Fascisn. Correctly too does P. M, describe the many suiferings of tho Church In Hitler's Greater Germany. But what P. M. does not state and what P. M. quite evidently means, Is that with all these reasons for opposition and anger, Catholics Of America should lend Q hand with P. M. in carrying the war drum. However the emphatic condemna- ton of NaZi.Fascism repeatedly expressed by leading Catholic churchmen in American, cannot be identified with c policy of American intervention In the war. Quite on the contrary some of those whom P. M. quotes in con. demnation of the new German organism arc publicly on record as opposed to American interVen- ton, Universally we condemn the evil. We do not agree that Amer ican intervention Is the best way af daatrovif1g tho evil
 Persecution is not c novel oondl- ton of the Catholic Church. More correctly we might assert that 1t Is the heritage of the Catholic Church, c credential Of the Church of Christ. On the night before He died Our Blessed Lord looked down the long corri- dor of time and told His apostles, If the world hates you, know you that 1t has hated me before you. The servant Is not above his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you.' (st. John XIV IS, 2o).
 WATERBURY'S
 CATHOLIC HISTORIAN
 Regarded as the highest award that 0 Catholic layman can re- ceiye in the United States, the presentation of the Laetare Medal last week to William Thomas Walsh, Waterbury'S Catholic hlS- torian and presently professor at Manhattanville College In New York, listed his name with the most distinguished Catholic laity in America during the past fifty years. Tho custom of the Laetare Medal, which dates from 1883, Is derived from the Papal custom Of bestowing Q Golden Rose by the Holy Father on Laetare Sunday Of Lent.
 General Hugh Drum, Com- mander of the second corps area, was the i940 recipient. Other re- cent awards have been made to Richard Reid, editor Of the Catho- lie News of New York city, eX- Governor Alfred E. Smith. pr. Jerimiah D. M. Ford of Harvard, John Mccormack and Margaret Anglin.
 Accepting the award last week, Doctor Walsh stated that 1t was a tribute to the truth that he had tried to tell rather than to himself. He spoke of his amazement, when beginning his studies of Spanish history, at the extent In which "the history of Christendom had been corrupted and perverted" and he expressed the hope that his writings would continue ito help scatter the enemies of Chris tianity who have made such a mess of the world" The princi- pal works of Dr. Walsh are the historical biographies: Isabella of Spain", Isabella the Crusader" and Philip IT..
 Reverend Hugh ODonnell, president of Notre Dame, in the citation accompanying the award stated that pr. Walsh had brought Isabella and Ferdinand, ALn HoktnIlav nssk nf tha dark