Evening star., 1944-09-02

May Be Necessary
To Save World Peace
BY the Associated Press.
VATICAN CITY, Sept. Pope
Plus XII, in a world broadcast last
night. defended the right of private
property as the cornerstone of So
cial order" but condemned the type
Of capitalism which "arrogates to
itself an unlimited right over prop
erty."
Speaking on the nth anniversary
of the wars outbreak the pontin ap-
pealed over the Vatican radio for a
peace founded on Christian princi-
Piles, but said that force might be
necessary to prevent future wars. He
declared all nations must collaborate
in the maintenance of security.
The vanquished should share with
the victors mot only rights and
duties but also in the benefits OF
true civilization" the Pope said. His
entire address underlined the i'm
minence Of the end OF the war in
Europe.
Natural Right to Property.
Asserting that the >'Christian con-
science cannot admit as just a So
cial order which either denies In
principle or renders impossible or
negatory In practice, the natural
right to property" the pontin de-
clared that neither could it accept
unlimited right over property" per-
mitting immense riches to dominate
public and private economic life.
He declared the State should have
the right to regulate or even expro-
pirate property where 1t is against
the public welfare and said that
where big business even today
shows itself more productive there
should be given the possibility of
tempering the labor contract with a
contract Of co-ownerShip'
Dealing with the question of the
use of force to prevent further wars,
the Pope said:
THE sword can and sometimes,
alas, must open the way to peace.
The shadow Of the sword may be
cast also over the transition from
the cessation Of hostilities to the
formal conclusion Of peace.
Force As Peace Aid.
THE threat Of the sword may ap-
pear inevitable even after the con-
clusion OF peace, in order to safe
guard within legally necessary and
morally justified limits the observ-
ance of just obligations and prevent
attempts at new conflicts"
While offering no specific plans
for postwar international organi-
zation for the preservation of peace,
Pope Plus said he hoped the actual
achievement Of the creation of such
a body may really correspond in
the largest possible measure to the
nobility Of its end, which is the
maintenance of tranquility and
security in the world for the benefit
of ALL"
He said that in the postwar period
men expect far-reaching and def
mite betterment of economic and
social conditions. He said the prom
ises Of many statesmen, the many
plans and proposals of experts and
specialists had given rise in the
victims Of unhealthy social orders
to 'rllusory hopes OF a complete re-
birth of the world and to an over
enthusiastic expectation of a mil
lenium of universal happiness"
Special Plea for Italy.
He said that such ideas offered
fertile ground for the propaganda
of the most radical programs, dis
poses mems minds to a very under
standable but unreasonable and
unjustif1ed impatience, which looks
for nothing from organic reforms
and puts all its hopes in upheavals
and violence
The pontiff made special appeal
in behalf of Italy and also for the
millions of war prisoners and civil
ian internees
Excerpts from the pontif1's speech
follow:
The hands on the clock Of history
are now pointing to an hour both
grave and decisive for all mankind.
An old world lies In fragments.
To see arise as quickly as possible
from those ruins new world,
healthier. juridically better organ
lied, more in harmony with the
exigencies Of human nature-such
is the longing of its tortured
peoples.
Raises Questions.
Who are to be the architects who
shall draw the essential plans for
the new world, who the thinkers
who will give it final shape? To the
sad and fatal errors of the past will
there, perhaps, succeed others no
less deplorable; will the world oscil-
late uncertainty between one ex-
treme and the other? Or will the
pendulum come to rest. thanks to
the work of sage rulers. at directives
and solutions which do not 20 coun-
ter to Gods law, and do not offend
the human and. above all, the Chris
tian conscience?
On the answer to these questions
depends the future of Christian
civilization in Europe and in the
world: OF that civilization which,
far from overshadowing or preju-
dicing all those individual and
varied forms Of civic life in which
the peculiar character of each
people is manifested. rather gratis
itself on them and there gives life
to the highest ethical principles
the moral law written by the Gre
ator in the hearts of men (Romans,
ii.l5), the natural law deriving
from God, the fundamental rights
and inviolable dignity of the human
person: and in order to bend mems
wills to the observance of these
principles, that Christian civiliza-
ton infuses into individuals, into
the whole people and into inter-
national relations fhoco biohor an