Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-23
IN THE
NEWS!


JUST now note that one col
u umnist mentions "COnserva-
tive Catholic France" being led by
Marshal 'Petain into Germany's
insane Naxi federation, but how
many of us realize that France,
politically and practically, Is and
was not conservative but very rad
icsl, for communism had pene-
trated her schools, press, lower
classes, and even the government
As for Catholic, the people,
many of them. seemed to have lost
faith In the church. even though
the women and children turned out
for festive occasions. But when ID
came time to march off to war,
the men like sheep reluctantly
went 10 the front. Faith In prayer,
In the priests. or even In the tenets
nj peace on earth, good will TO
men," seemed sadly lacking.
The tourists to France enjoyed
The old csthrdrsis. hut the power
Of the church hsd apparently de-
creased enormously. Anticierical-
ism had taken such a strong root,
even through legislation, that the
words. God protect France" had
been stricken from the coinage.
No one WAS allowed Ia mention
the name of God In an oath OF Of
flee.
How people there were amazed
and amused nj our use nj the signs,
n. :" In legal notices, and lin
the year If our Lord" In procla-
nations. do not remember the
coinage OF all countries. hut ours
IL noticeable for having the refer
ence to God. "In God We trust !"
ss well As that our hymn "Amer-
lea" closes with the magnificent
inc, Great God, our king"
A for the goddess nations Of
Europe. France has more aspects
In common with them than we
realize. One can honestly assert
thst ny many standards, moral and
otherwise, America IL the most
spiritually advanced country. We
at least strive for and believe In
peace: lax morals are not accepted
80 complacently ~ they were In
France: drinking IL not so uni
yersal. =.
We try 10 outlaw gambling.
whereas In most European coun-
tries the government conducts n
continual lottery. ~ q less painful
form ~ raising revenue than more
taxation. Begging In France was
not censured severely nv Some Of
the French. for they realized the
difficulties Of finding work eNpe-
rienced ny many.
Excessive TAXATION stiflcd indus
try. People feared to expand their
huSinesses. remodel their homes,
develop their lands, for the increase
In tases would be 80 great. Even
near the cities many 81 the people
would wash clothes In the river,
rather than stand the expense and
concurrent TAXATION of having run
ming water installed.
So France did not stride ahead
ibdBstrialIy a. she might have;
-Kke- dId-Ret- rebuild -te~H~-
many If them old and dilaPidsted
her citizens kept their backward
ways Of life. surely our mania for
having new things, tearing down
nuifuinEs bl tNfu unity tV'FH' INV
Il at least an incentive togo ahead
10 improve.
The French. lacking faith In their
government. did not invest their
money In business. so much as in
government bonds which the,
thought n guarantee. They even
sewed their money In their mat
tresses. They had experienced in
fistion and lost heavily through
boarding paper money. but still
they were doing II whenever they
had any 10 hoard.
What we used to call French
thrift seemed Ia me more like
penury. To wash enormous liner
sheets In cold water all Winter
long seems scarcely desirable. Fol
few dollars the French coult
have made improvements which
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