Evening star., 1944-09-02
of that hersdity succession re-

Of that hersdity succession rel
mains.
Our immortal predecessor, Leo
XIII, and his famous encyclical,
"Rerum Novarum." already estab-
lished the principle. that for every
legitimate economic and social order
there must be laid down Is the
basic foundation the right of pri-
vate property"
II 1t be true that the church has
always recognized "the natural
right to property and of the heredi-
tary transmission Of ones own
goods" (encyl: Quadragesime anno) :,
then 1t is not less certain that this
private property is in a special man
ner the natural fruit Of labor, the
product Of an intense activity on
the part Of the man who acquires 1t
through his energetic will to insure
and improve by his own forces his
own living conditions and those of
his family, to create for himself and
those dear to him a field in which
they may rightly enjoy not only
economic freedom, but political, cul-
tural and religious freedom as we'll
Healthy Social Order.
The Christian conscience cannot
admit as just . social order which
either denies in principle or renders
impossible or negatory in practice,
the natural right to property
whether over consumptive goods or
the means Of production.
But neither can it accept those
systems which recognize the right
to private property according to a
completely false concept of IL and
which are therefore opposed to a
true and healthy social order.
Accordingly where. for instance,
capitalism" is based on such false
concepts and arrogates to itself an
unlimited right over property, with
out any subordination to the COM
mon good, the church has con-
demned it as contrary to the natural
law.
In fact, We see the ever increas-
ing ranks of the workers frequently
confronted with this excessive con-
centration Of economic goods which
often hidden under anonymous
titles. are successfully Withdrawn
from contributing. as they should
to the social order and place the
worker in a situation where it Is
virtually impossible for him effec-
lively to acquire private propert,
of his own.
Incentive to Worker.
| Take away from the worker the
hope OF acquiring some goods as
personal property, and what other
natural incentive can you offer him
to make him work hard, to save
to live soberly, when not a few men
and peoples today have lost all and
have nothing left but their capacity
to work? Or perhaps men want tc
perpetuate the economic conditions
Of wartime by which, in some coun-
tries, the public authority has con-
troll Of all means OF production and
provides for everybody and every.
thing, but with the lash of a severe
discipline? Or perhaps they want
to lie down before the Dictatorship
Of political group which will, a.
the ruling class, dispose of the
means Of production. and at the
same time of the daily bread and
hence of the will to work of indi-
viduals?
The social and economic policy OF
the future, the controlling power OF
the State, Of local bodies, of profes.
sional institutions cannot perma-
nently secure their end, which is
the genuine productivity Of social
life and the normal returns on ma
tional economy, except by respect
ing and safeguarding the vital func-
ton OF private property in its per-
sonal and social values.
/ Technical Progress.
And 1t should not be said that
technical progress is opposed to such
a scheme, and In its irresistible cur.
rent carries all activity forward to-
ward gigantic business and organ
lzations, before which a social sys.
tenn founded on the private prop.
erty OF individuals must inevitably
collapse. No. Technical progress
does not determine economic life as
fatal and necessary factor. It has
indeed too often yielded timidly to
the demands of rapacious, selfish
plans calculated to accumulate cap
ital indefinitely; why should it not
then yield also to the necessity OF
maintaining and insuring private
property for all, that cornerstone
OF social order? Even technical
progress, as social factor. should
not prevail over the general good
but should rather be directed and
subo-dinated to it.
The direct military operations
which have overwhelmed a large
part OF Italian soil, are now far
from even the Eternal City. But
the consequences, both direct and
lndlrect. OF the conflict are far from
being at an end. The city which
Mary Salus Popun Romani, mother
OF Divine Love, protected in the
hour Of danger, no longer resounds
to the rumble Of battle. But the
night against misery, famine, un-
employment, economic unrest has
reached in many regions of Italy an
extent which, especially in view OF
the approach Of winter, calls for
prompt and effective remedies.
Accusations No Remedy.
No sterile accusations will afford
remedy to such evils, but sincere
and generous collaboration by all
who have the power and the au-
thority to serve the interests of the
State. Is it not. perhaps, desirable
to have the cooperation toward the
common good of upright, honest
experienced people, who are sincere
and untarnished by any stain OF
crime or real abuse-even II in the
past they found themselves in an.
other political camp; would moi
such action, moreover. open thu
way to unity Of purpose?
tn, -