Evening star., 1941-07-07
Leave War Decision
In Presidents Hands,
Bishop Hurley Urges
Catholic PreIote Says
Crisis Has Reached
Zone Of Strategy

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Zone Of Strategy
President Roosevelt, as Command
erin Chief OF the armed forces
rather than Congress, should de-
eide whether and when the United
States should enter the war against
Germany, Bishop Joseph P Hurley
of the diocese of ST. Augustine, de-
clared last night in a Nation wide
radio broadcast
The Catholic prelate. formerly a
member of the Papal Secretariat of
State, speaking over the Columbia
network, asserted that this coun-
try's relation to the European con-
flict was no longer diplomatic or
political, but had entered the zone
OF strategy" Therefore, he argued.
the problem of strategy should be
left to the Commander in Chief.
who alone, in constant loyal COM
consultation with his military and
naval advisers, is capable of bring
ing us safely through the dangers
which encompass us
In the present circumstances.
he continued, we must not lose
sight of the fact that the declaration
OF war. the constitutional preroga-
tive OF Congress. is no longer in
style, the Nazi has seen to that
Since the Nazi has from the
first marked us as his enemy. it is
we'll that we accept that fact even
though 1t has not yet pleased him
to make war upon us. But his policy
OF limited objeCtiveS. that policy by
which he betrayed and enslaved a
continent, is fast approaching the
point of showdown with us. .
Pre-War strategy is so all-important
today that wars are won or lost
before they enter the shooting
phase. $50
MY great fear is that we will not
be permitted to have the choice be-
tween war and peace: that the Nazi
will not let us have peace as he did
not let the nations of Europe have
peace. Most qualified observers
think that our only choice is when
we shall enter the war"
The people, Bishop Hurley said.
have neither the experience nor
access to the facts to decide whether
we should go to war.
Nor does the Constitution de-
mand it he went on" -" have
an abiding faith in government by
the people; but I do not believe that
questions of nationaI security. in an
epoch of crisis. should be submitted
directly to them. 1t would be a
numbering process involving fatal
delay, and fatal leakage of plans to
potential enemies"
Saying that he had no confidence
in any one who seeks in q time of
crisis to undermine legitimate /.
authority; who speaks disparagingly /
or distrustfully of our highest magis-
rates" Bishop Hurley added: /
Among them is a small but noisy
group of Catholics. We have suf-
fered long from their tantrums. ,
Years ago they established the !
crank school of economics: latterly |
they have founded the TRADE school
of Journalism; they are now engaged |.
in popularizing the ostrich school |
of strategy. They will disap-
pear in time like those other exhi-
marathon dancers !
and the fagpole sitters-who amused
America for a while and vanished
Nazis Remain Enemy No. l.
Bishop Hurley said that Nazi SYM
pathizerS in the United States were
trying to picture the RuSSo-German
war as holy crusade against COM
munism" The bald facts" he
added, are that Germany, in vio-
lation of treaty, launched an un-
provoked war of aggression against |
the Communists, their former part
ners in crime"
The recluse of Berchtesgaden is
bdQLy SdSO III tllC lOlt VI TcleI lTlo !
Hemit. The Nazi remains |
enemy No. l Of America and out |
of the world"
At the outset of his speech |
Bishop Hurley recalled his former |
association with the Vatican and
said he deemed it we'll to explain
that this address is delivered with
out any mandate from the holy
see; that 1 use only documents of |
public record, and that I engage
only my own authority
Speaking on "Papal Pronounce
ments and American Foreign Pol
ICY" he said he felt an exposition
of this subject might serve some
useful purpose at the present time.
People with short memories are apt |
to forget the heroic struggle of the
Popes of our day for human liberty |
and human dignity just because q !
few Catholic publicists in America
have been giving expression to