The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-13
Catholic Thought And Opinion
By REV. JOSEPH F. DONNELLY

70 outline the Official teaching OF the
Church In regard to trade unionism.
Fifty years ago when labor unions
we're practically Outlawed in almost
every country in the world Pope
Leo XIII defended the right Of labor
to organize and stated: 1T Is graf
flying TO know that there are In
existence not a few associations Of
this nature, consisting Of either
workingmen alone or Of worklngmen
and employers together, but 1t is
greatly to be desired that they should
become more numerous and more
efficient"
In 1920 the Sacred Congregation Of
the Council stated: The Church
recognizes and affirms the right Of
employers and employed TO form In
dustrial associations either separ-
ately or jointly. The Church under
existing circumstances considers the
formation Of Industrial associations
morally necessary.
To build a better social order work.
ers must discharge their personal and
social obligations by Joining and
being active in the unions that are
available to them. To this obliga-
ton we urge the workers. Join your
unions. Be interested and active in
them. Keep them faithful to the
ideals we cherish here in America.
Labor today has faults which have
belied the whole movement in the
opinion of a large segment Of the
public. These faults are stains on
the fabric and the stains stand out.
But these stains must be removed
and because labor itself has defer
red the. cleaning there Is q growing
danger that an unfriendly super
vision will do the Job. Yet in honesty
1t must be said that labor's sins
are not the rue but the emphazied
exception, the exception which UNI
fortunately supplies for It's many
enemies the desired mad horid paint
for the whole picture.
MIR. CAREY AT MECCA TEMPLE
The happiest CLIO news OF the day
Is the breaking Of the uneasy truce
that has been far too prolonged In
the CLIO between the Communists
and the American forces. What in
fluence the MM&SW fight had In
stiffening the American backbone Of
the organization do not know but
! am Of the opinion that 1t was not
one Of the shorter spurs pressed into
its tough hide.
The public proclamation Of war
came when James Carey, the Sec
retary-TreaSurer of CLIO, represented
the CLIO at the labor sponsored meet
ing held In New York on March 30
to protest the execution In Russia
Of the two prominent Polish labor
leaders, Alter and Enrich. Previous
to the meeting the Communists
flooded the CLIO headquarters pro-
testing Carey's scheduled appear
ance. but 1t seems. and hope that
do not over-estimate the occasion,
appeasement was at an end.
So on March 30 the CLIO in the
person Of Mr.. Carey declared:
1T is my considered opinion that
the activities at the Communists
Party in this country, with Its savage
utilization Of all who refuse to
follow the Party line, with Its sudden
reverSals Of policy and its theological
twists and turns, with its totalitar-
ian habits Of mind and way Of action
remains q major barrier to true
American-Russian understanding. AS
long as the Soviet Government lives
in the delusion that the Communist
Party represents American workers.
1t cannot concievably appreciate the
problems that divide the workers of
our country"
LONG AWAITED POLICY
Many people have waited a long
time to hear those words from CIO
They carry a judgment and we
shall watch hopefully to see that
Judgment made a basis OF policy.
Peace with the Communists In CIO
now seems impossible unless Carey is
sacrificed to the Commies; they will
use all their power TO get the scalp
that they tried vainly to reach at
the last CIO convention. And as
was to be expected the speech opened
the flood gates for another deluge
OF protesting kilograms from all
Communist-controlled local unions
while the great American body OF
the organization goes Its easy and
indifferent way.