The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-09-01
Catholic Thought And Opinion


Ollie heps The heir and the prayers
Of the person In whose honor he
wears Il. TO wear u without devo-
ticn iE an empty and hollow prae.
tlce.
Thus when we place the medal Of
SC. Christopher IN oiir automobile we
do Il with The petition that he will
protect us as travellers BY carrying
ing 10 history, he, = Christian MAr-
tyr, aided travellers BY carrying
them across a dangerous stream. IN
like manner the airman of the Il.
A. r. who attaches the medal OF St.
Joseph of copeftlno 10 The instru-
ment board Of his plane can expect
nothing Of the medal itself but
through his devotion 10 The saint he
asks his prayers and his help that
God willing, he will be protected
from the many dangers met IN the
line of his duties.
STRANGERS CHILDREN
As more and more OF our young
men 20 to the wars many fronts
the debt Of gratitude that America
owes to the unseifish mothers OF our
large American families grows apace
When In the traditional spirit Of
the days which made America great
they raised their happy tribe of six
and eight and ten, their unselfish-
ness was faithfulness both to God
and to their country. To-day they
tell you proudly that there were few
material comforts and no Injuries
but that they were unbelievably
happy.
AS those children 20 out now four
and six from a family to serve in
the fighting forces Of our country.
that unselfishness still reigns and
gives service to America. But there
must be a pang Of reproach in the
hearts of those who could but who
wilfully and selfishly refused to have
the children who would take Of their
time and their pleasures. These
we're unfaithful; they have failed
To-day the children Of STRANGERS
must defend them.
CRUELTY DEGRADEs
During the trial OF the Nazi sa-
boteurs a mid-Western newspaper
conducted a poll among its readers
on the question: How shall the
United States deal with the eight
Nazi saboteurs, rounded up by the
r. b. ~" What was the purpose. II
any, of the poll is not clearly eyi-
dent. That the saboteurs, If found
guilty, deserved the penalty Of the
law. death, was evident and was
confirmed by an overwhelming
number Of replies.
Some Of the replies however were
sadly surprising. One suggested
Put them in solitary confinement
and slowly starVe them to death"
Another wrote use their own
bombs to blow them to bits" And
one even more inhuman suggested
Hang them to poles and let the
black crows eat them inch by inch.
The suggestions are certainly proof
that the stories OF horrible Nazl
cruelty which have been coming
from the deYasted lands Of Europe
have hardened many hearts. In
deed one Of the persistent effects OF
cruelty is to make by-standers cruel
And yet may we let a just cause de-
generate into a vice? Must not cru
city, like hatred, be barred from the
cause for which we struggle?
Indeed We have reasons for just
wrath. But IN war as in peace VT
must be Christian people Who live
by Christian principles, We arc
Mortified by and we condemn utter
~ some OF the barharous acts OF our
enemies. Certainly it would be a
betrayal Of the great cause for which
so many sacrifices are being made
II We stepped down to adopt these
methods that we rightly condemn
and struggle to oestroy.